Archival research is the process of looking for documents that are protected and stored in a climate-controlled place. These documents can be found in local, state, national and international facilities with the help of independent researchers.
Vital records are created and housed by governmental offices and agencies. This type of record documents civil activities such as birth, marriage, death (BMD), wills and property ownership. Estate and probate attorneys rely on vital records to make connections with "next of kin" when someone dies. Paperwork created for the U.S. citizenship process (naturalization) is also part of this group. All of these records will contribute important information to your family history project.