Genealogy Records Checklist for 2026

Research Plan Checklist – 2026 Update | How Genealogists Really Think

If you’ve ever wondered “What am I missing?” or “Where do I look next?” when researching an ancestor, this video is for you.

In this updated 2026 version of my Research Plan Checklist, I walk you through a gap-driven approach to genealogy research—one that reflects how genealogists actually think, rather than forcing records into rigid categories. Instead of organizing research strictly by record type or repository, this checklist helps you identify what part of an ancestor’s life is undocumented and what types of records might help fill those gaps.

You’ll learn:

• How to use a checklist as a research planning tool, not a to-do list
  
• Why some records—especially church records and newspapers—appear in multiple sections
  
• How to think beyond civil records, particularly for earlier time periods
  
• How to spot missing census, military, land, church, or migration evidence
  
• How newer tools, including FamilySearch Full Text Search, can open doors to records you may have never searched before
  

This checklist is designed to be used repeatedly, one ancestor at a time, and adapted to different time periods and locations. You are not expected to find every record listed—its purpose is to guide your thinking, spark new ideas, and help you move forward when research stalls.

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