Nicole Elder Dyer

About Nicole Elder Dyer

Nicole Dyer is a professional genealogist specializing in Southern United States research and genetic genealogy. She is the creator of FamilyLocket.com and the Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast. She co-authored Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide and Research Like a Pro with DNA and is an instructor for the study groups of the same name. She lectures at conferences and institutes and previously served as the secretary and publicity chair of the Pima County Genealogy Society. Nicole holds a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in History Teaching. At Family Locket Genealogists, Nicole is a project manager, editor, and researcher.

RLP 186: Revisiting Locality Research Again

Jan 31, 2022

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about locality research. This third step in the RLP process helps you understand the historical and geographical context of your research project. It also helps you find record groups that might be relevant to your research planning. This is a replay of episode 115 with new commentary at the beginning about Diana’s Missouri locality guide. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 186, Revisiting...

RLP 185: Revisiting Timelines and Analysis Again

Jan 24, 2022

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about timelines and analysis. Learn about this second step in the research like a pro process. This is a replay of episode 114, with new commentary at the beginning by Diana and Nicole. Nicole shares Airtable timeline column headers. We talk about Diana’s second great-grandmother, Nancy Briscoe, who Diana researched as part of a 14 Day Mini-Research Like a Pro challenge. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research...

RLP 184: Revisiting Research Objectives Again

Jan 17, 2022

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about research objectives. Learn about this first step in the research like a pro process. This is a replay of episode 113, with commentary at the beginning and end by Diana and Nicole. We talk about Diana’s experience discovering more about her 2nd great-grandmother, Nancy Briscoe as part of a 14 Day mini-Research Like a Pro challenge. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is a Research Like a Pro...

RLP 183: American Nations Part 2 with Heidi Mathis

Jan 10, 2022

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard. Heidi Mathis gives us a snapshot of these 11 nations so that no matter where your ancestors settled in the U.S., you may learn something about the “nation” they lived in. Transcript Nicole (2s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 183 American Nations part two with...

RLP 182: American Nations Part 1 with Heidi Mathis

Jan 3, 2022

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is a discussion of the book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard. Heidi Mathis, one of our researchers, joins us to discuss the general idea of American Nations. The book gives us a hypothesis to understand U.S. history as we research our ancestors. Also, the book excitingly has DNA evidence to back up the hypothesis it proposes...

RLP 181: RootsFinder Triangulation Network Graphs with MyHeritage Matches

Dec 27, 2021

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is how to use RootsFinder, a family tree building online tool, to analyze your DNA matches and create a network graph – this time, with MyHeritage DNA matches. MyHeritage is unique because it shows you which of the shared matches triangulate. Network graphs consist of DNA matches, the nodes, and shared match connections, the lines between the nodes. With MyHeritage matches, you can create two types of network...

RLP 180: RootsFinder Network Graphs

Dec 20, 2021

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to use RootsFinder, a family tree building online tool, to analyze your DNA matches and create a network graph. Network graphs consist of DNA matches, the nodes, and shared match connections, the lines between the nodes. In RootsFinder, you import your matches and then link them to the common ancestor in your tree. Then they are automatically colored. Viewing the matches in triangulation/cluster view allows...

How to Make a RootsFinder Triangulation Network Graph with MyHeritage DNA Matches

Dec 18, 2021

In a previous post, I wrote about making a network graph using the RootsFinder triangulation/cluster view with AncestryDNA shared matches. Today, I’m sharing how to make a network graph at RootsFinder with MyHeritage matches. RootsFinder can create a network graph based on segment triangulation, which is a unique feature. You can also create a separate MyHeritage network graph using just shared matches (and no triangulation data). I will show how to do both types of...

RLP 179: RLPDNA Study Group 8 – Report Writing

Dec 13, 2021

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Diana’s Dillard project. For the RLP with DNA study group, she is exploring the possibility that a cluster of DNA matches from her second cousin’s network graph are related through Cynthia Dillard’s parents. The MRCA of the cluster appears to be Elijah Dillard. In this assignment, Diana wrote a report. She shares some of her findings. Read her report by clicking on the link below. Transcript...

RLP 178: RLPDNA Study Group 7 – Research Logging

Dec 6, 2021

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Diana’s Dillard project. For the RLP with DNA study group, she is exploring the possibility that a cluster of DNA matches from her second cousin’s network graph are related through Cynthia Dillard’s parents. The MRCA of the cluster appears to be Elijah Dillard. In this assignment, Diana followed her research plan and recorded her searches in Airtable. Her research log helped her organize many deeds in...