Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro features a discussion with Barry Chodak from genealogical.com about a new feature called the My GPC Library. This digital library provides access to 800 of the best titles in genealogy and family history, making it an invaluable resource for researchers. Diana and Nicole, the hosts, share their excitement about this tool and its potential to enhance genealogical research. They explore various aspects of the My GPC Library, including...
If you love getting genealogy books, but have limited shelf space, Genealogical Publishing has a wonderful solution. My GPC Library is a new subscription from Genealogical Publishing that allows you to read over 800 titles online – but that’s not all. The books are every word searchable, making it so much easier to find what you need, as well as finding the names of ancestors! There are two types of books in the collection –...
Diahan Southard had the fun idea to celebrate the 25th anniversary of genetic genealogy by creating a free eBook with reflections from DNA leaders and luminaries. I feel honored to be included in this group. Diahan asked us to write about our experiences getting started with DNA and/or the impact it has had on our work. I wrote my story, but it was far too long! After condensing it for the book, I decided to...
In this episode, Diana and Nicole delve into the agricultural roots of American ancestry, spotlighting Richard L. Bushman’s book, “The American Farmer in the Eighteenth Century: A Social and Cultural History.” They discuss the profound role of farming in shaping American society and the individual stories of ancestors who contributed to this agricultural legacy, including Diana’s own forebears, the Isenhours. The hosts explore farming’s evolution, the impact of land inheritance, and the migration westward for...
FamilySearch announced at RootsTech last week that they have launched a full-text search powered by artificial intelligence. It currently includes the US Land and Probate Records and Mexico Notary Records collections. This is still an “experiment” in FamilySearch labs, available at https://www.familysearch.org/Labs/, but it already includes over 100,000,000 records, with more collections to be added in the coming months. I tested the full-text search on my brick wall, the father of John Robert Dyer, born...
Are you ready to organize your DNA matches? Creating a Leeds cluster chart to divide your closer matches into four grandparent groups can get you started. Through trial and error, I’ve learned some tips that will help you be more successful. What is a Leeds Chart Dana Leeds developed this methodology in July 2018 while helping a person with unknown parentage discover their biological family. With this type of case, you don’t have the luxury...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro we delve into the intricacies of naturalization records, with a special focus on 20th-century cases. A significant part of the episode is dedicated to a case study of Adolph Salmon, a German immigrant. We discuss how Diana traced his naturalization journey through various records, including census data, newspapers, and court documents. We highlight the significance of creating timelines and merging information from diverse sources to reveal a comprehensive...
Online Repository Assistant (https://www.ora-extension.com), also known as ORA, is a browser extension and Windows application created by John Cardinal. It works with many common online “repositories” like FamilySearch, Ancestry, FindaGrave, FindMyPast, Fold3, and more, to extract data from records and make it easier to paste text into your genealogy software or research report. I wrote a little about it in my post, Automated Source Citation Builders. ORA allows you to create your own text templates...
Did you know you can have an automatic research log with Goldie May? Goldie May is a genealogy research assistant tool created by Richard Miller available for Chrome and Firefox. Essentially it is a browser extension that opens a sidebar to help you log your research-in-progress. The research log tool in Goldie May helps you manage projects and logs websites you visit. Not only does it create an automatic research log for you, tracking the...
If you are using Airtable for tracking DNA matches and logging documentary research, I’m excited to share an update to the RLP with DNA base template available in Airtable Universe. Each year I make updates based on my own experience and suggestions from others. I usually do this before our Research Like a Pro with DNA study group begins. The group is in full swing right now, and we are using the new base I...
