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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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,...
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...
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....
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...
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...
