Blog – Family Locket

DNA Research Flow

Have you thought about the steps to take to work through a DNA research project? Have you ever been stuck or lost during a project and wondered what you should do next? What do you do? I've thought about it a lot, and it motivated me to create DNA Process Trees that have a stepwise model/instructions/flowchart of the main steps to take when working through a DNA research objective. The steps help me maximize the research time I have available. I have also added some logistical steps that prompt me to save genealogical documents, create citations, and write the...

By Robin Wirthlin September 24, 2020 DNA, Organizing, Records, Research Like a Pro, Research Tips 1 Comment

RLP 115: Revisiting Locality Research

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about locality research. As we revisit the steps of the research like a pro process, we are discussing Diana's project about Nancy Briscoe. Nancy lived in several places, but this objective focused on her early years, during which time she lived in Arkansas and Missouri. Diana created two simple locality guides for two Missouri counties and used the Arkansas state guide she had already created. We discuss how to make your own locality guide to become familiar with the place you are researching and the records that are available there. Links...

By Nicole Dyer September 21, 2020 Podcast No Comments

Researching African American Ancestors in Government Documents Part 3 : WPA Projects and Slave Narratives

What additional records can you use to research African Americans in the United States? You might be surprised to learn of the many documents created by WPA projects during the 1930s. These projects provided thousands of jobs and recorded hundreds of first-hand accounts of slavery from interviews of the previously enslaved still living at that time. Learning more about these records can give you another avenue to research in your quest to discover family connections. This series is based on information I learned in “Researching African American Ancestors: Government Documents and Advanced Tools” coordinated by Deborah A. Abbott, PhD. The...

By Diana Elder September 18, 2020 Research Tips No Comments

RLP 114: Revisiting Timelines and Analysis

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about the second step in the research like a pro process - timelines and analysis. This is where you gather everything you know about the objective - previous research, known information from published trees, etc. You compile it into a timeline, then analyze each piece of information for reliability. We talk about source, information, and evidence analysis. Links Airtable DNA Research Log for Multiple Test Takers - by Nicole at Airtable Universe Diana's Timeline for Nancy Briscoe - via Google sheets Nancy Briscoe Frazier Research Project - Diana's research project document,...

By Nicole Dyer September 14, 2020 Podcast 2 Comments

Fast Ways to Cluster Your DNA Matches at the Beginning of a Research Project

Imagine starting on a brand-new research project with DNA matches and an unfamiliar family tree. You want to get the most out of your precious research time and efficiently organize the DNA matches so you can focus on the family line(s) of interest. - What do you do first? - What’s the most effective method? Great questions! Try the methods outlined below to get started efficiently and effectively. Make a Leeds Method chart Spend 10-20 minutes creating a Leeds Method DNA Color Cluster chart. This will help you become familiar with the groups and identify the family lines to focus...

By Robin Wirthlin September 8, 2020 DNA, Research Tips 4 Comments

RLP 113: Revisiting Objectives

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is the first in our new series of revisiting the research like a pro steps. We start with discussing the beginning of any research project: objectives. Diana shares her research objective for a project we will be following through this series: The objective for this project is to discover more about the life of Nancy E. Briscoe, born 7 February 1847 in Benton County, Arkansas. Nancy married Richard Frazier about 1865 in Missouri and died 30 January 1924 in Love County, Oklahoma. Links Nancy Briscoe Frazier Research Project - Diana's research project document,...

By Nicole Dyer September 7, 2020 Podcast 1 Comment

Genealogy at a Glance: Virginia Genealogy Research Laminated Guide

As you follow the research like a pro process and perform locality research, you may wish to purchase books and guides that help you with a particular region. Many guides exist, and today I'm spotlighting on from Genealogical Publishing Company. They sent me a copy of their updated Virginia Genealogy Research laminated guide by Carol McGinnis. This four-page research aid contains basic facts about Virginia, its history, settlement, and record sources. Records highlighted include vital, church, cemetery, land, probate, military, census and tax. Each section includes tips for locating the records. There is even a section about supplementary sources, including...

By Nicole Dyer September 5, 2020 Records, Research Tips No Comments

Researching African American Ancestors in Government Documents Part 2 : Land and Military Records

If you are conducting African American research you might wonder what records are available? Could land and military records reveal information about an African American ancestor? Those records created by the United States government in the years before emancipation, during the reconstruction era, and post reconstruction do pertain to African Americans and this article will give a brief overview of the history involved and what records could be searched. Part 1 of this series focused on the U.S. Federal Census, Freedman's Bureau and Freedman's Bank Records. Land Records Land has always been a draw for emigrants to the new world....

By Diana Elder September 2, 2020 Research Tips No Comments

RLP 112: The Value of Family Search Hints

Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about how FamilySearch hints can point you to new record collections you may not have known about. We discuss some essential considerations for using hints and suggestions for doing additional research after attaching a hint. Links The Value of Family Search Hints by Diana Research Like a Pro eCourse Study Group - more information and email list Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out...

By Nicole Dyer August 31, 2020 Podcast 3 Comments

Privatizing DNA Research Reports for Publication

Imagine reading a genealogical article and discovering that your name has been published along with your DNA information and conclusions about your ancestors. How would you feel? How would you react? Some people may not mind if their private information is published, while others – probably a majority - don’t appreciate their name, their parents’ names, grandparents’ names, etc. published for anyone to see. It is about privacy and ethics. Privacy and Ethics We value privacy in our DNA tests results. We want DNA testing companies to safeguard our information and protect it from exposure that is granted without our...

By Robin Wirthlin August 26, 2020 Research Tips 2 Comments

DNA Research Flow

RLP 115: Revisiting Locality Research

Researching African American Ancestors in Government Documents Part 3 : WPA Projects and Slave Narratives

RLP 114: Revisiting Timelines and Analysis

Fast Ways to Cluster Your DNA Matches at the Beginning of a Research Project

RLP 113: Revisiting Objectives

Genealogy at a Glance: Virginia Genealogy Research Laminated Guide

Researching African American Ancestors in Government Documents Part 2 : Land and Military Records

RLP 112: The Value of Family Search Hints

Privatizing DNA Research Reports for Publication

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