One expert defines a criminal investigation as "a thorough, objective search for truthful information," and that should also describe a genealogist's quest for the truth about his or her ancestors. Since every case and every family is different, there are no fixed rules for an investigation. However, a good family history researcher, like a good criminal investigator, proceeds in a systematic, organized way, analyzing and evaluating all the evidence, and building a truthful case. Sometimes there is not enough evidence to prove a case, and both the investigator and the family historian must be able to move on to another case or family line.

This lecture points out criminal investigation techniques that can be employed by genealogists to effectively search for and identify ancestors, record evidence, analyze and draw accurate conclusions, and write comprehensive but concise reports.