Family Locket

RLP 402: Transforming Court Records Research with AI: Finding and Logging

In this episode, Transforming Court Records Research with AI: Finding and Logging, Diana and Nicole discuss how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the challenging process of working with historical court records. Diana introduces the topic by explaining that while court records are treasure troves of genealogical information, they are often unindexed and difficult to read, featuring archaic legal terminology. She presents a case study of her research to identify Samuel Daniel of Middlesex County, Virginia. She […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer March 23, 2026 Podcast

RLP 401: Airtable Research Log Updates for 2026

In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Diana and Nicole discuss the all-new Version 4.2 (2026) of the Research Like a Pro with DNA Airtable Research Log. The updates are designed to streamline the genetic genealogy workflow, making DNA research more flexible and reducing duplicate data entry. Diana details the biggest change: the “Test-taker” and “DNA Match” fields in the DNA Match Details table are renamed to “Person 1 (P1)” and “Person 2 (P2).” […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer March 16, 2026 Podcast

Negative Search Results vs. Negative Evidence: When Nothing Found Means Something

This blog post was written with the assistance of AI based on my presentation slides and syllabus uploaded to Claude 4.6 Sonnet. You have spent hours searching. You have checked every database, browsed every microfilm reel, and scoured every index you can find — and still, nothing. No marriage record. No probate file. No deed. Before you close the research log in frustration, consider this: that empty-handed search may be exactly the evidence you need. […]

By Diana Elder March 15, 2026 Research Tips

RLP 400: From Searcher to Researcher: Listener Takeaways from 400 Episodes

In this celebratory episode of the Research Like a Pro podcast, Diana and Nicole highlight the incredible impact the RLP process has had on their listeners by sharing several inspiring success stories. They read comments from researchers, one of whom explains how the RLP workflows help them conquer imposter syndrome, and another who shares a journey from feeling overwhelmed as a beginner to pursuing accreditation. Multiple individuals note that the RLP method turned them from […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer March 9, 2026 Podcast

AI Handwritten Text Recognition Tools at the RootsTech Expo Hall

At RootsTech, someone I spoke with mentioned choosing a theme ahead of time to help narrow down classes and Expo hall experiences — what a great idea! Her focus was DNA and AI. Looking back, mine was clearly AI Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) tools, which happened to be the topic of the class I taught in person and the common thread running through all the booths I visited. (Last year, in 2025, I taught about this […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer March 8, 2026 Artificial Intelligence, Research Tips

Agentic Browsers and Native Integrations: Inside the New Edition of Research Like a Pro with AI

I’m excited to share that we have updated our Research Like a Pro with AI genealogy workbook! This second edition has all the latest updates in how artificial intelligence can be used for genealogical research and writing. What took the longest to update was understanding ALL the new features released by OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Perplexity in the last year. The pace this technology is advancing is astonishing. Comparison Report: Research Like a Pro with […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer March 4, 2026 Artificial Intelligence, Research Tips

RLP 399: Merging and Separating Identities with Jan Joyce

Diana and Nicole speak with Jan Joyce, AG, CG, CGL, who developed and coordinates the new virtual institute course, “Merging & Separating Identities: Strategies and Tactics to Solve.” Jan explains that the most common mistake genealogists make is failing to recognize they have a “same-name problem” and assuming multiple records belong to a single person. She notes that the challenge of merging and separating identity cases (M/S) is accelerating because of more digitized records, the […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer March 2, 2026 Podcast

23andMe New Clustering Feature and Returning Chromosome Browser

It’s been an exciting past few weeks for DNA users at 23andMe. They quietly rolled out a clustering feature (for all users) and recently brought back the chromosome browser (for premium users). This is definitely a step in the right direction! *Update – after this post, 23andMe officially announced DNA Relatives Clustering and stated it would only be for Premium+ Subscribers. Some people might complain that the chromosome browser is only for premium subscribers now, […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer March 1, 2026 DNA Tools, Research Like a Pro with DNA, Research Tips

From Chaos to Clarity: How Merging & Separating Identity Techniques Identified David Dewitt’s Father

When I encountered David Lynn Dewitt in my family, I had a straightforward research question: who was his father? David was born in Maryland in 1801, married Sarah Headley in Holmes County, Ohio in 1827, had seven children, and lived his entire adult life in Richland Township, Holmes County. Simple enough, right? Then I discovered dozens of Dewitts all of whom had Ohio connections. In the 1820s-1840s, central Ohio—specifically Holmes and Knox Counties—was crawling with […]

By Jan Joyce February 24, 2026 Research Tips

RLP 398: FamilySearch Wiki with Virginia Pratt

This episode features Virginia Pratt, who brings decades of expertise to the discussion, including five years on the FamilySearch Research Wiki Team and a bachelor’s degree in Family History from BYU. Virginia joins Nicole and Diana to discuss the essential, free online genealogical resource: the FamilySearch Research Wiki. Nicole asks Virginia to explain the Wiki’s purpose, access methods, and how to navigate the main page, noting that it should be used for finding information on […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer February 23, 2026 Podcast

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