Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
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.
👉 NOT a Member? Purchase the HANDOUT Here genealogytv.org/product/handout-for-genealogy-records-checklist-for-2026
SIMILAR VIDEOS
🔴 FamilySearch Full Text Search - Was LIVE
youtube.com/live/GNNT5l6QBZk
🔴 OMG! FamilySearch FULL TEXT SEARCH – The Ultimate Strategy to Find Records
youtu.be/tmVEqw_HqW0
🔴 FamilySearch Hidden Records: Full Text Search: 2024
youtu.be/-D6c1fVU3LQ
❤️ JOIN the GENEALOGY TV ACADEMY
genealogytv.org/academy
📝📝📝📝 HANDOUT OPTIONS
📝 1) Genealogy TV Academy members have access to all lessons and handouts back to 2022. genealogytv.org/academy
📝 2) Become a CHANNEL MEMBER at the INFO ACCESS level $9.99 per month. This gets you all the handouts. youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/join.
As a Channel Member, find the handouts by scrolling through the blog posts on the Community tab at youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/community
📝 3) All handouts can be PURCHASED INDIVIDUALLY ($5 and up) at genealogytv.org/handouts/. Here you will get a redirect and an email to download the handouts.
📝 4) Become a monthly PATRON at the HAPPY DANCE level ($15/Month) or more. You will get early release of the videos and the handouts are emailed to you, when they become available. patreon.com/GenealogyTV
❤️ BECOME A GENEALOGY TV CHANNEL MEMBER and help support Genealogy TV - see perks!
youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/join
❤️ Patreon Membership – Handouts Emailed as they are produced. patreon.com/GenealogyTV.
✅ Genealogy TV WEBSITE
genealogytv.org
✅ GTV on FACEBOOK
facebook.com/Genealogytv
✅ SIGN UP For GTV’s NEWSLETTER
https://mailchi.mp/a0862c6473aa/genealogytvnewsletter
👉 Subscribe to Genealogy TV (Free)
youtube.com/channel/UCcvpi8XvOScBogIxmarmADw/Subscribe
*** GTV Affiliate Partners ***
🛍️ Genealogy TV’s AMAZON STORE full of Connie’s favorites.
amazon.com/shop/genealogytv
#Genealogy #GenealogyTV #FamilyHistory
Circus Waltz - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
00:00 Records Checklist Intro
00:38 About the Handout
01:29 FamilySearch Wiki
01:58 Cyndi's List
02:16 Back to FamilySearch Wiki
03:09 About the Checklist
03:40 Big Four Record Categories
03:52 Residency
04:06 Census Records
04:33 State Census
04:59 Other Census
05:15 Mortality Schedules
05:39 Vital Records
06:00 BMD on FS Wiki
06:33 Marriage Records
06:47 Divorce Records
07:06 Finding the Records
07:19 Church Records
07:46 Legal Records
08:12 GTV on Social Media
08:25 FamilySearch Full Text Search
09:59 Work & Education
10:45 Military Records
12:07 Migration
12:37 Immigration vs Emigration
14:02 Gazetteers
15:09 Orphanages, Adoption, Prisons, etc.
15:47 Newspapers & Stories
17:17 Maps + More
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.
👉 NOT a Member? Purchase the HANDOUT Here genealogytv.org/product/handout-for-genealogy-records-checklist-for-2026
SIMILAR VIDEOS
🔴 FamilySearch Full Text Search - Was LIVE
youtube.com/live/GNNT5l6QBZk
🔴 OMG! FamilySearch FULL TEXT SEARCH – The Ultimate Strategy to Find Records
youtu.be/tmVEqw_HqW0
🔴 FamilySearch Hidden Records: Full Text Search: 2024
youtu.be/-D6c1fVU3LQ
❤️ JOIN the GENEALOGY TV ACADEMY
genealogytv.org/academy
📝📝📝📝 HANDOUT OPTIONS
📝 1) Genealogy TV Academy members have access to all lessons and handouts back to 2022. genealogytv.org/academy
📝 2) Become a CHANNEL MEMBER at the INFO ACCESS level $9.99 per month. This gets you all the handouts. youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/join.
As a Channel Member, find the handouts by scrolling through the blog posts on the Community tab at youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/community
📝 3) All handouts can be PURCHASED INDIVIDUALLY ($5 and up) at genealogytv.org/handouts/. Here you will get a redirect and an email to download the handouts.
📝 4) Become a monthly PATRON at the HAPPY DANCE level ($15/Month) or more. You will get early release of the videos and the handouts are emailed to you, when they become available. patreon.com/GenealogyTV
❤️ BECOME A GENEALOGY TV CHANNEL MEMBER and help support Genealogy TV - see perks!
youtube.com/@GenealogyTV/join
❤️ Patreon Membership – Handouts Emailed as they are produced. patreon.com/GenealogyTV.
✅ Genealogy TV WEBSITE
genealogytv.org
✅ GTV on FACEBOOK
facebook.com/Genealogytv
✅ SIGN UP For GTV’s NEWSLETTER
https://mailchi.mp/a0862c6473aa/genealogytvnewsletter
👉 Subscribe to Genealogy TV (Free)
youtube.com/channel/UCcvpi8XvOScBogIxmarmADw/Subscribe
*** GTV Affiliate Partners ***
🛍️ Genealogy TV’s AMAZON STORE full of Connie’s favorites.
amazon.com/shop/genealogytv
#Genealogy #GenealogyTV #FamilyHistory
Circus Waltz - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
00:00 Records Checklist Intro
00:38 About the Handout
01:29 FamilySearch Wiki
01:58 Cyndi's List
02:16 Back to FamilySearch Wiki
03:09 About the Checklist
03:40 Big Four Record Categories
03:52 Residency
04:06 Census Records
04:33 State Census
04:59 Other Census
05:15 Mortality Schedules
05:39 Vital Records
06:00 BMD on FS Wiki
06:33 Marriage Records
06:47 Divorce Records
07:06 Finding the Records
07:19 Church Records
07:46 Legal Records
08:12 GTV on Social Media
08:25 FamilySearch Full Text Search
09:59 Work & Education
10:45 Military Records
12:07 Migration
12:37 Immigration vs Emigration
14:02 Gazetteers
15:09 Orphanages, Adoption, Prisons, etc.
15:47 Newspapers & Stories
17:17 Maps + More
