Setting a goal You will soon realize that the genealogist's work is exponential and can go in all directions. So you will have to set yourself limits if you want to do a quality work. The following points are only examples of choices to be made to delimit a research perimeter that can be achieved in a lifetime. Whose genealogy? Define whose genealogy will be developed: Yours Your wife's Your family's, starting with your children or grand children That of a close relative A friend's. Over how many generations? Define the number of generations to be identified: All the way back to the great-grandparents Back to Independence day, the French revolution, the first English settlers, back to William Shakespeare birth, etc. Back to the Middle Age or William the Conqueror Which branches? Define branches to be identified: All Paternal lineage only Maternal lineage Specific ones What descendants? Define from which ancestors you wish to identify descendants and cousins : From the highest ancestor found From Great-grandparents From all ancestors found What level of detail? Define the level of detail to be obtained for each individual According to its generation Systematically have the sources of all acts Only Birth, Marriage, Death The maximum number of events