BEWARE! The Enchanted Forest: Perils & Pitfalls of Online Trees

Presented by Jean Wilcox Hibben

When is it safe to get information from an online tree? Here we will discuss where these trees can be found, how to assess them for reliability, how to cite them, how to use them for clues to further your research, and more. Not all online trees are created equal, but most can be evaluated with a few simple steps: don’t become victim to the enchantment of an apparent pot of gold. Good for beginner to intermediate researchers.

Jean Wilcox Hibben (MA – Speech Communication; PhD – Folklore) is a national speaker and author. A member of the DAR, she is the former director and current family history consultant for the Corona, CA FamilySearch Center, has worked on background research for two genealogy television programs, and was a host for podcasts on social history. A former Board-Certified genealogist with over 45 years of research experience, she is a former board member of APG and past president of its So. Cal. Chapter; 1st Vice-president of the Corona Genealogical Society, as well as webmaster for that same organization; and participant on a number of other society boards. Jean writes the “Aunty Jeff” column for the Informer, the newsletter of the Jefferson County NY Genealogical Society. Her website: circlemending.org.