As genealogists, we formulate a hypothesis about our ancestors to make progress in our research. That hypothesis is a lens, a way of organizing the myriad of facts we discover, which we hope will lead us to locate further records, helping us prove or disprove our hypothesis. I like to try to use the same idea to try and understand the history of an ancestor’s time. I want to avoid getting too bogged down in […]
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 made a research plan. First, she created a summary of known facts about Elijah Dillard. Her goal for this […]
How do you wrap up a research session so that you don’t forget all the connections made? Writing a report is the perfect way to not only make sense of the research, but to also correlate the findings, both with the documents and in the DNA analysis. In this final article of my series on using DNA in the search for Cynthia (Dillard) Royston’s father, I’ll share my process for writing the report as well […]
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 explored DNA tools to see if any would be useful in her project. She learned about DNA Gedcom’s GWorks […]
It is an excellent time of year to think about the things we are thankful for! I’ve been thinking about DNA-specific blessings, and I made a list of my top 5. What are you grateful for in the realms of family history and DNA? I’m thankful for: DNA tests that can help us discover ancestors whose names and lives are lost due to time and memory. Newly discovered family members. Renewed connections with cousins and […]
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 studied Elijah Dillard’s timeline and chose two places to learn more about and create a locality guide – Macon […]
We all love the thrill of the research – entering in the search terms and waiting while the website spins then returns what we hope will be the record we’re hoping for. What if it doesn’t? Do we record that search or do we keep clicking around in search of the elusive perfect record? Following a research plan and keeping a research log works wonders to eliminate the bright shiny object chase. Working with a […]
If you’ve been waiting for the paperback version of Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence, we’re excited to announce that it is now available on Amazon! After releasing the eBook earlier this year, we have been finalizing the print details and working with a professional designer to be sure you get the best reading experience. We are thrilled with the result and hope you like […]
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Diana’s RLP with DNA study group project. She shares how she made a timeline for the hypothesized brother of Cynthia Dillard, Elijah Dillard. We discuss her Airtable timeline as well as citations and FANs. Part of the assignment is to analyze the sources in the timeline as well as the DNA sources. Using the Shared cM Project, Diana compares the proposed relationship with the shared […]
When it’s time to start researching, do you jump right in and start hopping from website to website? Or do you first create a plan, then follow that plan and log your research? If you’ve never created a research plan, you will be pleasantly surprised at how beneficial and satisfying it can be. When adding DNA to the mix, we need to put even more thought into our research plans. DNA tools and methodologies […]
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