Posting An Effective Query

This is an area that has needed addressed for a long time. Really, in
posting effectively you are helping yourselves as much as others.
Posts to message boards, mailing lists, and newsgroups are great ways to
connect with researchers with similar interests, to seek information, or to
locate long lost cousins. But getting results requires more than just a
little luck. It takes a well though out query to get results. Below are some
tips for writing an effective query that will increase your chances for
success.

Good Subject Lines

First and foremost, you want to capture the readers' attention. In message
boards and in E-mail messages, an effective, specific and informative
subject line is the key to successful communication. I have seen messages
posted with the following actual subject lines:

Jones

John Smith

Attention Ohio Wilson Researchers!!!

Still Looking for Connections

Help!!!

These are not good subject lines. They tell the reader nothing to help him
or her determine if the content of the message is of interest to them.An
effective subject line for surname research contains the following:

1. Name of the individual, with the surname in all capitals--such as Isaac
WILSON;
2. The location where you are seeking records, such as NC or Mecklenburg
Co., NC; and
3. The time period, such as 1850-1885 or Late 1880s

This information provides readers with many details in a brief subject line
that allows them to determine if they want to read the posting. Here are
some examples of good actual subject lines:

MORRISON, HARRIS b. 1846 m. Rosa Havner

Susan Elzie MORRISON b 1857 AR

Whitfield, Thomas 1806 TN

John Ball b. abt 1767 m Rachel King

John McKnitt ALEXANDER - 1733-1817 - MD>NC

The use of the > character in the subject line above indicates that the
person moved from one place to another and is an excellent way to briefly
communicate movement between locations.

GOOD MESSAGE CONTENT

The second important component of an excellent posting is the content of the
message. You should indicate the name of the person you are researching (one
person per posting is a good rule of thumb). You should state exactly what
information you are seeking. Finally, you should include as much pertinent
information as possible for the reader to determine if they have information
that will help you. The following is an example of an effectively
constructed message:

"I am seeking names and vital dates about the parents of Lydia Lenora
PATTERSON, b. 13 November 1833 (place unknown) and d. 28 August 1914 at
Davidson (Mecklenburg Co.) NC. She married Joseph McKnitt WILSON on 8 April
1856 in Mecklenburg Co., NC, and they produced at least nine children but
there may have been as many as twelve. I would also be interested in names,
dates and spouse/family information about these siblings."

In this example, the subject's name, vital dates, location and additional
information about spouse and children are listed. The message is concise and
contains enough details for the reader to determine if he or she has
information that might assist the researcher who posted the message.
Get to the point. Most people don't want to take the time to read a long
drawn out query. The first paragraph should contain the "Who, What, Where,
and When" of your request. Details can be filled in after you have gotten
the attention of your targeted audience.

Include only one request in your post. Too many requests may decrease your
chances for a response. Other inquiries can be posted separately.

Include places you have already checked for the information. Otherwise you
may be wasting other people's time, as well as your own, as you will have
half a dozen replies telling you to search the obvious places that you have
already checked.

Capitalize SURNAMES so that they are easy to pick out of the post and
subject lines. (You shouldn't capitalize an entire message as it makes it
more difficult to read and some people consider it the online equivalent of
shouting.)

Be careful with abbreviations in your query. Remember that many forums
have members from all parts of the world and others may not be familiar with
the same abbreviations that we use. So spell it out whenever possible. This
will eliminate the possibility for misinterpretation.
When posting to a mailing list, check your e-mail settings. Make sure you
are only sending plain text to mailing lists. Others may not have the
capability to read HTML coded messages and you want your message to be
received and readable by as many people as possible.

Do not send your query as an attachment. Many viruses are transmitted as
attachments and as a result, most people wisely refrain from opening
attachments on email from people they don't know.

Sign your post with your name and e-mail address. Some e-mail readers
don't show the address that an e-mail is received from and a recipient with
the information you are looking for can't respond to you if they don't have
your e-mail address.

Re-read your post carefully before you send it. Check for typos. Did you
include all the necessary information? (Remember the 4 W's: Who, What,
Where, When) Are all of your facts correct? Have you signed it properly?

Make sure your post is neat, and polite. Manners count online too.

Be careful of what information you post online, particularly when
referring to living persons. Be sure to respect people's privacy and keep
yourself and your family safe from those who might use information found
online for fraudulent purposes.

If you find information worth sharing, post it to the appropriate list and
share the source of the information so that others may benefit from your
"finds." As you help others, they will be more eager to help you in return.

Always be polite on the lists and refrain from flaming. No one wants to
help someone who is constantly complaining or mean to others.

Keep a log of your e-mail messages so you know what requests you have
already put out and when.I keep mine in a folder and repost as necessary
without having to retype them. I eliminate them as they are answered.

By using common sense and following simple guidelines, you can benefit
greatly from genealogical forums. They are a great place to make friends,
find relatives, and information.

SUMMING UP

Consider for a moment the E-mails and message board postings you see every
day. Which ones will capture your interest first? Which ones are you most
likely to read first? Do some of them provide insufficient information for
you to make a decision? Do you even know what is being asked?
For a reversal on this thought, which emails didn't you answer, even if you
had the info? What did those look like? Which ones did you immediately
discard? Why? I am certain that the discarded ones are not the example to
follow.

As you can see in the examples above, a thoughtfully constructed posting
that includes a meaningful subject line and detail-rich content is more
likely to elicit responses. Invest a little time in creating better message
board postings and chances are you will expand your research and achieve
some new successes.