Choosing Genealogy Software: What Features To Look For

Genealogy software is likely your best tool for organizing the research of your family's history. Most of the software available today can connect people according to relationships, sort and combine individuals into family trees, locate and delete duplicate entries, and help uncover errors and solve problems. The best genealogy software packages give you comprehensive charts and reports for organizing your data, and for viewing the development of your genealogy research.

To find the right genealogy software, do NOT rely just on the software manufacturer's description of the program. You must also read both professional and customer reviews of the software. (A good source for customer reviews is Amazon.com.)

Choosing the right genealogy software can make a tremendous difference in the course of your research. Following are some important criteria for selecting the best genealogy program to meet your needs:

- Ease of use. The software should be intuitive and user-friendly in order to meet the needs of both beginners and experienced computer users.

- Ease of setup and installation. The genealogy software's installation process should be simple and straightforward.

- Feature set. The software should be equipped with numerous features for organizing and researching family historical information, including charts, reports, web access, searching capabilities, and other useful ways of storing data. Some genealogy software programs allow you to import information from online databases (such as Social Security death records, or pictures of census forms).

The various charts and reports should include:

• Ancestor charts. They show the direct lineage of a person's ancestors.

• Narrative reports of the ancestors. These are reports written in a story form, similar to books. They start with a specific individual, and are then followed by stories from his or her lineage. Sharing this research with your friends and family members can be enriching and enlightening.

• Family charts. These charts show entire families, including the wife, husband, and children.

• Family trees. A family tree shows multiple generations, and can be a thing of great beauty. The software should allow you to print a family tree in several different formats.

- Ample help and documentation. The genealogy software developer should provide help in various forms. The help can include FAQs, phone and email support, product tutorials, and online video courses. A bonus would be a support forum, where software users often help each other.

Using genealogy software is an excellent method for researching your family history in an organized and convenient fashion. Try it just once, and you'll NEVER go back to keeping your records using pen and paper again.

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