Removing the bricks in the brick wall

Perhaps a couple of examples will illustrate the reason for my recent posts on brick walls. I have the opportunity to talk to many people every week about their genealogy and for that reason, I frequently have comments about difficulties in finding one certain individual, sometimes a direct line relative but often a collateral relation. Often, these researchers become so consumed with finding the information about the difficult individual, they spend most of their research time going over and over the same sources, trying to find another piece of information that will unlock the puzzle and let them move on to other parts of the their family. Partially, I believe, because the situation is called a "brick wall" people become obsessed with finding the information.
Read more...