How to write an effective query
We all run into brick walls with our research and may want to ask for help from others. Whether you decide to send a query to NBGS for publication, post one on our Facebook page or engage the services of a professional researcher, here are some suggestions to make your initial query more effective.
A common mistake is to submit something that is too vague. For example,
“I’m looking for information on my great grandfather, John Smith.”
Whoever reads this query does not have any information with which to proceed. The submitter has some knowledge as to when John lived, where he may have lived, and who some of his family members might be, but the person reading the query does not. This query does not specify if John was born in 1820 or in 1920, if he lived in Miramichi or St Stephen, or anything else about him. There is no information to use to start a search. Plus, no specific question was asked. Anyone trying to help needs to have some idea of what you’d like to know.
Create a more effective version of the same query by adding a few specific details:
“I’m looking for death and burial information for my great grandfather, John Smith, who died before the 1871 census, and lived in XYZ town, NB.”
In this example, you have a specific question “looking for death and burial Information” plus an approximate date “died before the 1871 census” and a location “XYZ town, NB”. Anyone helping you can now focus on the location, date and type of record you seek, and they know you already looked at the 1871 census.
Adding even more detail can help, but adding too much does not.
“I’m looking for death and burial information for my great grandfather, John Smith, who shows up in the 1861 census in XYZ town, NB, with his wife Betsey and their four children, Mary, Robert, Fred and Sarah. In the 1871 census, Betsey, now a widow, and the children still live in XYZ town.”
In this third example you have added the names of the wife and children and the last date John was known to be alive. Now the focus can be in a specific time range (1861 to 1871) and a few names to help confirm the identity of John if documents are found. Betsey might be the informant on the death certificate. Do the names of the children add any value to this search? They may not be necessary, but might also be useful. However, adding details such as Betsey was born in Ireland or the names of her parents would probably not be useful to help find John’s death or burial information.
These three examples show how adding a bit of detail can assist those who wish to help. However, adding too much detail may not be helpful. You don’t need to include the full family history.
If you are hiring a researcher, the researcher will ask for more details once they have agreed to explore your project. For the initial query, keep it simple.
