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Be Clear
Be Accurate
If you are a requester
- Golden rule: Remember that the lookup volunteer cannot read your mind. Be thorough, accurate, and polite in your request. Include as much of the ancestor's name that you know, the years of their life span, any location information you have (e.g. township), etc.
- Make your requests reasonable. Remember that the lookup volunteers are doing this in their spare time. They are neither professional librarians nor archivists; they are just regular citizens with a passion of genealogy and the good will to help others. For example, if a lookup volunteer has a cemetery census for a single cemetery in a single township, it doesn't make sense for you to expect a list of "all the Smiths in the Washington Co. cemeteries".
- Be aware that lookup volunteers have volunteered to do lookups for you, not research. There is a difference. Only request of a lookup volunteer information from sources they have indicated they have and do not expect them to collaborate on your research problems. Most volunteers don't mind helping you, but before launching into a detailed description of your research problem, ask the volunteer if they're interested first. Other alternatives are to join the PAWASHIN discussion group or to enlist the efforts of a local researcher.
If you are a
volunteer-
Golden rule: Only volunteer to do lookups
if you intend to follow through on all requests in a timely manner, you
are committed to being polite, and you intend to be complete.
-
If you are frustrated with an email request for a lookup, be careful
not to be rude in your reply. Let the email rest a hour or a day. Then reply by clearly,
dispassionately, and politely pointing out what the problem might
have been and give the requester a chance to try again.
- If you aren't able to answer a lookup request in a timely manner, at least acknowledge the request with a short reply and state a date when you do intend to supply the requested info. We all take vacations, go on business trips, have to deal with family emergencies, etc.