Back to basics in genealogical research--duplication of effort

There is a appropriate analogy to many of the questions I am asked at the Mesa Regional Family History Center, it is called building bridges
in the air. In genealogical terms it is called starting with the three
brothers that came from Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, Norway or
where ever. Quoting from Val Greenwood, (Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy.
Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co, 2000) page 4, "How foolish it
would be...to spend ten years (or even one year or one month) on a
special project only to find, upon presenting his findings...that
someone else had already accomplished the same work."

The quote comes from Greenwood's analysis of the research cycle. He notes, at
page 6, "Another thing we can readily observe from this research cycle
is that many would-be genealogists
do not use all of the steps required for complete research. Too many
spend their entire efforts on secondary research, thinking that they
are doing all that can be and needs to be done when they are copying
the records of others and searching old family histories."
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