National Archives and Records Administration
For the past few days I have been trying to figure out what information I could find from the 11th most popular website used by professional genealogists. Supposedly it was ranked 6th last year, and seems to have dropped in popularity this year. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent Federal agency that oversees the management of all Federal records.
I've been confused as to how to use their site and what information they might have on my ancestors. So I used the 8th most popular website, Google, and found an article written by Genealogy.com that is titled, Finding Your Way Through the National Archives.
This article uses an excerpt from the revised edition of the Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, published by the National Archives Trust Fund Board. The excerpt then describes what you can and can't expect from the National Archives records collection, and what resources can guide you to the records you're looking for.
Based on some of the limitations outlined in this article, the NARA Trust Fund Board suggested that a researcher should never ask an archivist for information about an ancestor about whom only the name is known. They recommend knowing information about when and how and where an ancestor came into contact with the federal government.
All I have in my file right now are names and dates, so I don't think I'm quite ready for the in depth research this site would require. Sometimes the exact date and place of contact are necessary to find records of your ancestor from the NARA. Hopefully once I find some more information on my ancestors, this site will come in handy.