Family Locket

Transforming Court Records Research with AI: A Case Study from Colonial Virginia Part 1 – Finding and Logging

Claude 4.5 Sonnet assisted with organizing and writing this blog post based on my research report and a syllabus about using AI for court records. For generations, genealogists have known that court records contain some of the richest genealogical information available—and some of the most challenging to access. Unlike vital records or census enumerations, court records rarely come with indexes. The researcher faces the daunting task of browsing court books page by page, deciphering cryptic […]

By Diana Elder February 6, 2026 Research Tips

RLP 395: How to Use Ancestry DNA Custom Clusters in Your Research

This episode focuses on the exciting custom clustering feature now available in Ancestry’s Pro Tools. Diana introduces the tool, explaining how it allows for the strategic targeting of specific ancestral lines, offering more flexibility than the original clustering tool. She describes Ancestry’s process, which looks for matches sharing 65 cM to 1,300 cM with the user, and then finds those matches that also share at least 20 cM with each other. Nicole discusses the key […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer February 2, 2026 Podcast

RLP with DNA Research Log 4.2 (2026) Airtable Template Updates

The Research Like a Pro with DNA Airtable research log has been updated for 2026! Version 4.2 includes several enhancements designed to streamline your DNA research workflow and make tracking matches more efficient. While the changes might make the base look a little different—especially in the DNA Match Details table—I think you’ll find these improvements make your research process smoother. You can access the new templates here: RLP with DNA Research Log 4.2 (2026) RLP […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer January 29, 2026 DNA, Research Tips

RLP 394: When Birthdates Don’t Agree: Analyzing and Correlating Evidence

Nicole and Diana open the episode by discussing what they are currently working on, including their projects for the 14-day challenge. They then turn to the challenge of family history research when conflicting dates appear for an ancestor. Diana explains that because original records may not exist, genealogists must rely on sources created later in a person’s life, which often do not agree. Diana uses a case study of her relative, Mary Elizabeth (Royston) Slagle, […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer January 26, 2026 Podcast

Understanding the FamilySearch Research Wiki – Part 4: Case Study

Success in our research depends on understanding the locality’s records, history, and required methodology. Whether we’re experienced in the research locality or a newbie, there is always more to learn. In this blog series on the FamilySearch Research Wiki, guest blogger Virginia Pratt will help us understand what the wiki contains and how best to use it. Virginia worked on the FamilySearch Wiki team for five years, writing and organizing Wiki pages. We’re excited to […]

By Diana Elder January 24, 2026 Research Tips

RLP 393: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston – Part 6 Writing the Report

In this episode, Diana and Nicole discuss the crucial process of writing a formal research report for the ongoing case study to identify the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana explains that a report is essential for synthesizing details, bringing a research phase to a close, and providing next steps. She outlines the project’s objective—to find a candidate for Cynthia’s father in Cass County, Georgia, during the 1830s—and notes the constraints, particularly the missing early […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer January 19, 2026 Podcast

Transform Chaos into Clarity: Organizing Your Merging and Separating Cases

Welcome to the first of three blog posts about our upcoming Merging and Separating Identities course—where we tackle one of genealogy’s toughest challenges: distinguishing between same-named individuals—and today we’re starting with the single most essential technique taught in the course that transforms overwhelming chaos into clarity. One Technique That Transforms Chaos into Clarity: Organizing Your Merging and Separating Cases If you’ve ever stared at a mountain of records for multiple same-named individuals and felt completely […]

By Jan Joyce January 17, 2026 Education, Research Tips

RLP 392: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston – Part 5 Research Logging and Citations

This episode addresses the importance of methodically logging research and creating source citations as you follow a research plan. Diana shares her strategy for quickly creating citations for FamilySearch records, emphasizing the value of creating the citation first to understand the source and ensure it’s done. Nicole explains how she sets up and fills out her research log using the Research Like a Pro Airtable template, which includes features for grouping, sorting, and linking records […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer January 12, 2026 Podcast

Using the FamilySearch Research Wiki – Part 3: Understanding Topic Pages

By Diana Elder January 10, 2026 Research Tips

RLP 391: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston – Part 4 Research Planning

In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss the crucial “Research Planning” stage of the Research Like a Pro process in the fourth part of their series on the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Nicole begins by emphasizing the importance of creating a thoughtful research plan rather than haphazardly searching records. Diana then walks through the specific steps she takes for this case study. She states her objective, which is to discover a candidate for Cynthia […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer January 5, 2026 Podcast

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