| Foreword | p. xiii |
| Introduction: Why the Sleuths? | p. 1 |
1 | Putting a Down Payment on Success | p. 3 |
| Focus of the Book | |
| What's the Answer? | |
| First Things First: Getting Organized | |
| At Any Beginning-Focus | |
| What's the Problem? | |
2 | Planning for Research | p. 12 |
Part I | Developing a Plan | |
| Spontaneity | |
| Preliminary Planning | |
| Mapping Out a Plan | |
| Planning Methodically | |
| Talking About the Problem | |
| Example of a Written Plan | |
Part II | Questioning As a Tool of Planning | |
| Categorizing Search Questions | |
| A Reference Section | |
3 | Broadening the Scope: Cluster Genealogy | p. 40 |
| Why the Cluster? | |
| Who Is the Cluster? | |
| Next of Kin | |
| Extended Family | |
| Neighbors, Friends, and Associates | |
| People With the Same Surname | |
| Reconstructing the Cluster | |
| Cluster Genealogy in Progress | |
4 | Documenting Research | p. 54 |
| Who Documents Their Work? | |
| What Does It Mean to Document Your Work? | |
| Why Do We Need to Document Our Work? | |
| Where and When Do We Cite Our Sources? | |
| How Do We Cite Our Sources? | |
| Considering Specifics | |
| Sources in the Family | |
| A Final Word | |
5 | Gathering Information: Research | p. 65 |
| General Principles of Research | |
| A Word About Sources | |
| Suggestions for Effective Research: A Review | |
| Observe, Analyze, and Evaluate As You Research | |
| Working With Dates | |
| Using Public Records | |
| Strategies for Using Census Records | |
| Strategies for Using Probate Records | |
| Strategies for Using Land Records | |
| Strategies for Using Tax Records | |
| Mistakes We Make in Research | |
6 | Examining Evidence: The Gray Cells in Action | p. 105 |
| Evidence | |
| The Smallest Chink of Light | |
| Evidence at Work | |
| The Little Cells of Gray | |
| Hypotheses and Theories | |
| Seeking the Truth (Proof) | |
| Research and Analysis: The Question of Rev. William Harrison's Death Date | |
7 | Arranging Ideas: Progress Reports | p. 122 |
| Preliminary Hearing | |
| Listening to What We Say | |
| Committing Your Work to Paper | |
| Progress Report on a Study of William Coleman Sr. | |
8 | Reporting: Case Solved | p. 137 |
| Writing About the Successful Project | |
| Case Studies | |
| Introducing Chapters Nine, Ten, and Eleven | |
9 | Finding the Parent Generation: The Search for Isaac Heldreth's Parents | p. 141 |
| What Was Known When the Search Began | |
| Setting the Stage | |
| With Eyes and Mind Open | |
| Looking for Solid Evidence | |
| On Location | |
| What Is the Clue? | |
| The Missing Link | |
10 | Finding Slave Ancestors: The Search for the Family of Archie Davis Sr. | p. 150 |
| What Was Known When the Search Began | |
| Early Research | |
| Focus on Mother | |
| What Was Known at This Point About the Family of Archie Davis Sr.? | |
| Focus on Wife | |
| Family Oral Tradition Plays a Role | |
| Some Examinations | |
| Plan B | |
| A Wild Possibility? | |
| Reviewing the Results in Claiborne County | |
| One More Step up the Hill | |
11 | Finding the Parent Generation: The Search for Ann (Robertson) Croom's Parents | p. 163 |
| What Was Known Before the Search Began | |
| What Was Known From the Paternal-Line Search | |
| Proof of Isaac Croom's Surviving Children | |
| Isaac Croom's Marriages | |
| Preliminary Census Check | |
| Reviewing the Initial Evidence | |
| Search for Birthplaces | |
| Survey Research in Louisiana | |
| Clues in Land Records? | |
| First Proof of Relationship | |
| Research Based on Isaac Croom Sr.'s Land Records | |
| Cluster of Isaac Croom Sr.'s Associates | |
| The First Georgia Survey: The 1840 Census | |
| Texas? | |
| The Wake-Up Call | |
| Right Under My Nose | |
| Number One Suspect Emerges | |
| The Missing Link? | |
| One More Question Answered | |
| The Hypothesis | |
| The Critical Link | |
Appendix A | Preparing for Adventure: An Overview of the Basics | p. 203 |
| At the Beginning | |
| Focusing the Search | |
| Repositories of Genealogical Information | |
| A Word About Sources | |
| Suggestions for Effective Research | |
| Documenting Research | |
| Dates in Official Record Books | |
| The Calendar Change | |
| Strategies for Effective Census Research | |
| For Further Discussion | |
Appendix B | Guide to Documentation: Examples of Style | p. 219 |
I. | Published Books | |
II. | Articles in Journals | |
III. | Electronic and Internet Sources | |
IV. | Newspapers, Letters, and Interviews | |
V. | Public or Unpublished Documents and Records | |
VI. | Sources in the Family | |
VII. | Bibliography | |
| Endnotes | p. 250 |
| Bibliography | p. 276 |
| Bibliography of Sleuths | |
| Bibliography of Selected Works Mentioned in the Text or for Further Reference | |
| Index | p. 281 |