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Best resources to learnGenealogy & Family History

Study sheet

Genealogy traces your ancestors through records and DNA. You will learn research methods, archives and databases, DNA testing interpretation and how to document a family history.

7 resources · · How we curate

📚Books(3)

bookPaid

The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy (2nd Edition)

The clearest single entry point to the DNA half of this topic, from the person whose data underpins the field's standard relationship tool. Blaine Bettinger explains what autosomal, Y-DNA, mitochondrial and X-DNA tests can and cannot prove, how the major testing companies differ in database and tooling, and how to work through a match list toward a documented genealogical conclusion.

beginner🇬🇧
bookPaid

Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, 4th Edition

Elizabeth Shown Mills' 744-page reference on citing and evaluating historical sources, covering roughly a thousand source types from parish registers and censuses to online databases and DNA results, with citation templates and guidance on judging source reliability.

advanced🇬🇧
bookPaid

Mastering Genealogical Proof

Thomas W. Jones sets out the Genealogical Proof Standard step by step: exhaustive research, citation, analysis and correlation, resolving conflicting evidence, and writing a proof argument. Each chapter ends with exercises drawn from real records, with answer keys. The standard textbook that turns collecting names into evidence-based research; the book the certification community assigns.

advanced🇬🇧

🌐Websites(4)

website

The Shared cM Project 4.0 Tool (DNA Painter)

An interactive chart of the Shared cM Project: enter the centimorgans you share with a DNA match and it returns every possible relationship with its probability, drawn from tens of thousands of submitted known-relationship comparisons. The step where most people go wrong is reading a cM number as a relationship. This is the reference that converts the number into a probability distribution, and the version practitioners actually cite. The core tool is free; DNA Painter's optional subscription covers unrelated chromosome-mapping features, so no paywall applies here.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

The National Archives (UK) Research Guides

377 free guides from the UK National Archives explaining which records survive for births, marriages, deaths, census, wills, migration and military service, where each is held, and how to search them, across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

National Archives Genealogy Research (NARA)

The US National Archives' research portal for the federal records genealogists use most: census, military service and pension files, immigration and naturalization, and land records. Includes catalog search guidance, reference reports, and instructions for ordering copies. Once a beginner exhausts the aggregator sites, the work moves to federal record groups, and this is the authoritative map of what NARA holds and how to request it.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

FamilySearch Research Wiki

A free, community-maintained reference of over 150,000 articles describing what genealogical records exist for a given country, state, county or parish, where they are held, what years they cover, and how to access them.

beginner🇬🇧
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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best free resources to learn Genealogy & Family History?

Dantes has curated 7 resources for Genealogy & Family History, including 3 books, 4 websites. All resources are hand-picked for quality — no algorithmic filler. Browse the full list above to find the format that works best for you.

Is Genealogy & Family History hard to learn?

Genealogy & Family History is approachable at the beginner level — there are resources here specifically for those starting from scratch. As you progress, intermediate and advanced material is also available to take your skills further.

What types of Genealogy & Family History learning resources are available on Dantes?

For Genealogy & Family History, Dantes has curated 3 books, 4 websites. Each resource type serves a different learning style: videos and YouTube for visual learners, books for depth, courses for structured progression, and websites for quick reference.

How does Dantes select Genealogy & Family History resources?

Dantes is an algorithm-free learning directory. Resources are hand-curated based on quality, accuracy, and usefulness — not engagement metrics or paid placements. The goal is to surface the best learning material for Genealogy & Family History, whether it's a free YouTube series, a classic textbook, or an open courseware from a top university.

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