Question of the Week: How much time daily or weekly do you spend actively researching your family history?

Question

How much time daily or weekly do you think you spend actively researching on your family history?

Comments

3. -4 hour a day, first I start a can't stop. Because it is so exciting

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Too much! :)  

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I have to admit, since coming across Wikitree in February, I have been totally immersed in my research, broadening it out from just my tree to adding parallel branches and doing a one name study as well as helping the connectors and doing relevant research on the net. I start as soon as I wake up and finish at bedtime, fitting everything else in between throughout the day. On days when hubby is home, he crowbars me off the laptop and we do stuff, lol.

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I'd say maybe a few hours a month.

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I have been actively researching my family tree on Ancestry since 2010, and I have got the family the back 5 generations with over 500 individual members.
However I got stuck at Joseph Camm born 1804, in Lancaster, UK. and I cannot find his father or mother, so I have joined this site to see what you have to help me on my quest for my 6th generation.

I spend several hours a week on sites researching family trees.

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Do I have to answer this question... lol JPV IV :)

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I have cut it down to 1hour a day, since I went back to work. I was up too about 4 hours daily when not working. I get lost with researching and my days get away from me, but I love finding the connections to my family tree!(:

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Probably 35 hours a week.  Addicting. Exciting. Love the researching part of it, the reading of family history, even someone else's family. Just get carried away. Retired so have the time.

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Several hours a day!  And as a genealogist, I spend the rest of the day on everyone else's trees!  It's an ideal life.

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My husband would say, "Too much!"

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I have got so frustrated with the sites that I have cut it back to zero, while I am overseas, especially when they keep sending you info but yu cannot access it unless you pay a subscription fee.

Answer 1

I usually spend about 6 to 8 hours a day ,  sometimes more than 12 .  Not all of my research makes it on to wikitree due to my technical limitations and inability to use my hands..

Comments

I totally understand Trudy. (hugs)

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Thanks Shaman.  I very much appreciate the work you have done on the Peacocks. Thank you so much.  Hugs back coz.

Answer 2

I'd say 4-6 hours a day researching my family, and maybe 1-2 hours a day actively researching families in general. Sometimes I just randomly go to a profile on WikiTree and decide to research it because... well, because I can, and that's all the reason I need.

I'd like to throw in another half-hour to hour and a half of studying history during certain time periods as well, because culture affects a lot of stuff. For example, I don't know if my great great grandmother was ever issued a divorce from her husband, but she was writing him off as dead when he was still alive. See: 1900 census she's a widow... when in 1900 her husband is actually alive and well sitting in jail. Turns out it was more acceptable back-in-the-day to be a widow than a divorcee, to the point women would say their ex-husbands were dead before admitting they were divorced.

It's a lot, that's for sure!

Answer 3

I tend to think about it on a weekly basis. Especially considering we have some old family photos on display. My Aunt on my father's side has been the keeper of family history and records and I will never forget when she took me to visit the Civil War grave of one of my ancestors. Her passion to collect and document what she can inspired me to keep looking and learning more.

This site led me to a new set of ancestors and has me immersed again! I tend to spend a few hours daily when it's on my mind.

Answer 4

At least 3 hours a day, especially during my lectures...

Answer 5

I don't think of it in hours a day but profiles a day. I try to add sources to about 3 profiles each day. Some are very easy but some take a lot longer. If I get bored with the family lines I am working on I will sometimes complete pending merges.

Answer 6

Not as many as I'd like, nothing like a full time job to get in the way of my research.

Comments

I so direly wish I had this problem.

Answer 7

Recently retired. On the days I do this research, it eats up quite a few hours. But sometimes I shut it down for a week or two when other obligations arise.

Answer 8

I work full time, sometimes 7 days a week, so I try to squeeze in a few hours a day for research. To avoid getting burnt out I take  few days off a month for R&R.

Answer 9

I research mostly a couple of hours a day if I'm able. I insert info when I find it so maybe 30 min or so a day.

Comments

Yay! Kelly!  For so many of us, it's just trying to fit WikiTree into our schedules.

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Tell me about it. :) Life gets so busy some times but, it's nice to have sites like this to help us remember those that gave us this life.

Answer 10

Today is my first day. So far.... about an hour.

Comments

Yay, Jessi!  Welcome!

Answer 11

I get so sidetracked.  So, my family -- I spend a couple of hours per month.  Everything WikiTree plus other families & rabbit holes -- I try to spend an hour or more per day.

Answer 12

I am very new to the genealogy record search/Family tree. I've been at it about 4 weeks now. My first two weeks I spent 8-12 hours a day researching.  The deterioration of my living situation (Laundry, meal preparation, basic cleaning) has restricted me down to about 4 hours per day.  Now I spend more time trying to learn about citing sources and how to properly evaluate source data and determine data accuracy. It's been frustrating these past 2 days that I've been here at wiki tree. Am unsure how to proceed. I set up a family tree through 23andMe through MyHeritage but didn't concern my self with source details. Disaster!!! I want to do this right this time. I'm all about accuracy and verifiable data. Help

Comments

Lisa, these might help you:

Sources: http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Jillaine's_Dream_Source_Help_Page &

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Sources .

Kittys Library page (List of Free Sources to search) http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Kitty%27s_Library 

JPV IV :)

Answer 13

My goodness...I have been known to wake up in the morning with the sun shinning then a few mins later it's night time.....Where did the time go????

Answer 14

When I have time, I will spend about 3-4 hrs a day researching for my family tree.  Usually this is on the weekend when I'm not working.  During the week, I work anywhere from 8-10 hrs a day, and, with commitments to my family after work, rarely get to do more than a half hour to an hours worth of research.  

Do any of you work full times jobs?  If so, how to you manage your research time?

Answer 15

I don't really know. I probably shouldn't keep track.

Answer 16

Since I'm retired, I'm constantly working on genealogy (right now probably 6 hours a day) converting to a new format. Have been working on family trees since 1990 and have lots of info. Can't wait to learn how to navigate my way around WikiTree. Just started entering info and found one of my ancestors already has a profile. Now I'm just trying to figure out how to connect him. Any quick answers...please email me.

Answer 17

maybe 3-4 hours a week to start. I have about 7 full generations to add so quite a bit of time to start with lessening after 3-4 weeks to maybe an hour a week

Answer 18

I am Totally hooked. I spend at least 30 hrs a week at this. Hope to become more efficient at this soon.

Answer 19

Today, like 3 hours if not longer. I get the bug every now and then!

Answer 20

Since I am battling a serious disease, and I have long and short term memory loss from a brain injury, I spend about 4+ hours a day, 6 days a week if I am well enough, to do research. =) I have done this for the past year and a half. Some days it can go into the early morning if I can't sleep. I go on here and Ancestry, and transfer what all I find to here, as I am new to Wikitree. I have a TON over on Ancestry. This is VERY important to me. Just in case something ever happens to me, I want my children and granddaughter to know about me, and everyone that made me who I am. I never realized just how Amazing and Important this truly is.

Comments

I am 65 years old and healthy and have just started to work on my family tree and I know now how time consuming it can be, so I give you an awful lot of credit for being able to do this while battling such a disease.  I also know how hard it can be when you have short and long term memory loss as my mother had this also and how difficult it was for her.  I too would  like my children and grandchildren to know about their relatives, past and present, and this is why I am working on our tree.  Take care.

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Hi =) Thank you so much for the response and kind words. I applaud you for starting your family tree. My mother is 69, and has never had any interest at all, which I can not understand? So I have decided to do the best I can, and work on it like you are. on a different note, if I recall correctly, I think we have some Dunham's in our family tree somewhere.
If I can remember, once you add more to your tree, I may check back and see if we share any names if that's ok? You have a nice upcoming week and take care as well.

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Some of the Dunhams in my tree are Charlotte and Paul Dunham, they are my grandparents. I do have information on my aunts and uncles, but have not had a chance to enter all this information to my tree.  I have only been working on this for about 8 days.  You are more than welcome to check back any time.

Again, have a nice night and a good week. Take care.