In our Research Like a Pro with AI workshop last week, I taught a lesson about using AI to help with writing. Part of that lecture focused on writing proof arguments, and the example I used was a DNA proof argument. I’m excited to share a discovery I made about using Claude.ai to generate descendancy diagrams of DNA matches! These diagrams are an important part of any proof argument incorporating DNA evidence. In the process...
In this episode, Diana and Nicole discuss the advancements in AI tools for transcribing handwritten text. They highlight FamilySearch’s new full-text search feature that uses AI to transcribe deed and probate images, and they demonstrate how ChatGPT and Claude can quickly transcribe uploaded images, significantly reducing the time needed for such tasks. They explain that before May 13, 2024, file upload capabilities were exclusive to the paid version of ChatGPT, but the newly released...
As genealogists, we often struggle to narrow down our research focus and formulate clear objectives. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a helpful tool in this process. Let’s explore how to use AI to find research questions and write objectives, using my Isabella Weatherford project as an example. In our recent Research Like a Pro with AI Workshop, I followed the RLP process and explored ways AI could help streamline tedious tasks as well as...
In this episode, Diana and Nicole discuss Diana’s research identifying Clemsy (Cline) Weatherford’s origins despite record loss in northeastern Arkansas. She began with extensive documentary research, identifying Clemsy’s likely family: father John C. Cline, siblings Jacob, John, and Mahala, and half-siblings Jesse, Abner, Ann, and Amanda. She then incorporated DNA evidence, using tools like the Leeds Method and network graphs with Gephi software. Nicole clustered DNA matches for her cousin Lucretia, confirming Mahala (Cline) Shockley...
In the ever-evolving field of genetic genealogy, researchers are constantly seeking innovative ways to analyze and interpret DNA data. Airtable.com, a versatile database platform, is a flexible solution for logging DNA evidence in a genealogy research project. Airtable introduced AI tools for paid users earlier this year, and now, as of July 2024, AI tools are also available for free users! Update: the “generate text” Airtable AI feature is not for the free plan, but...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro, Diana and Nicole discuss the challenges of genealogical research in areas with severe record loss, using northeastern Arkansas counties as a case study. They offer five tips to help researchers make progress despite such setbacks. They advise starting by understanding the extent of the record loss, suggesting sources like the FamilySearch Wiki to determine what records might still exist despite events like fires or floods. They emphasize the...
Wanting to know more about how Artificial intelligence (AI) works and tips for using it effectively for genealogy, I took Steve Little’s AI Course at the GRIP Genealogy Institute, “AI Genealogy Seminars: From Basics to Breakthroughs.” Steve recommended Ethan Mollick’s 2024 book Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI. I found the book to be perfect for my level of understanding and full of examples. Humorous at times, Mollick gives us much food for thought. Writing...
Diana and Nicole discuss BanyanDNA, a tool for analyzing complex family relationships in genetic genealogy. Leah Larkin introduced BanyanDNA in December 2023, highlighting its unique ability to identify unknown ancestors and alert users to discrepancies in family trees. Diana shares her experience with her own family tree, where her great-grandparents’ siblings married each other, creating double cousins. She builds a tree using BanyanDNA, adding DNA matches from various test-takers, and finds the horizontal tree orientation...
This blog post completes our five-part series on records in England besides the usual baptisms, marriages, and burials. In part one, we looked at the parish chest; in part two, tax records; in part three, wills and probate; and in part four court records. Part five deals with Manor rolls – what they are and how to find them. Part 5. Manor Rolls You’ll find that as you research further back in time, fewer and...
In this episode, Diana and Nicole discuss finding immigration records for ancestors arriving in the United States after 1906. They provide a timeline of important immigration laws and their impacts, such as the 1906 establishment of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, the 1917 Immigration Act, the 1921 Emergency Quota Act, the 1924 National Origins Act, the 1945 War Brides Act, the 1948 Displaced Persons Act, the 1952 Immigration and Naturalization Act, and the 1965...
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