How to write an effective query...
- Write surname in bold letters or in all CAPITAL letters.
- Give dates or approximate dates of events, along with locations.
- Use upper and lower case letters in your query. Using all CAPS distracts from the important parts you want people to read and screams at you!
- Keep your query brief! No one wants to read the entire family tree, they just want to
see the part that interests them.
Suggestions:
*Give links to your family tree that you may have posted on your own Personal Genealogy page.
*Post the tree on INGENWeb and refer the researchers to "First Families" (not to the specific page, when I change the web's look, sometimes I accidentally change the location of the page)
*Tell researchers to email you personally. - Make sure your email address or snail address are at the bottom of the query. This way people will not have to click to two or three places to find your address.
- List important information in your title:
"Looking for family" is NOT a good title, everyone is looking for family/ancestors, etc.; nor is "Help!!", people that look through queries don't usually have the time (or inclination) to look at "Help" queries. Personally, I never look at either of the types of queries above.
"James Holley 1877 IN" or "Holley 1850 NY>OH>IN"
are a good titles: it gives name, time frame and location.
"Death Records - 1820" Is another example of a good title. It gives what you are looking for and the time frame. - If you have any suggestions... please let me know, I'll add them here!