Is your genealogy society cancelling their monthly meeting due to the Coronavirus? One of our subscribers mentioned that her society would like to stay home and watch a webinar for their monthly meeting instead. She asked if we could provide a lecture for their society. We thought we would share our Research Like a Pro in 30 Minutes a Day recorded webinar for her and for any of you who are in the same boat. Below is a the Research Like a Pro in 30 Minutes a Day webinar that Diana and I recorded last year. In the webinar, we...
Do you have an ancestor who emigrated from another country yet left no story about the why and how? Leaving a home and traveling to a new place, learning a new language and culture - these are significant events in our family story that can strengthen us in our own challenges. How do you discover the story of an ancestor? The Research Like a Pro process will not only help you organize a research project to break down a brick wall, it can give you the tools needed to research and write your ancestor's narrative. Nancy Gilbride Casey is an...
I have been reading How to Find Your Family History In U.S. Church Records: A Genealogist's Guide, a new book by Sunny Jane Morton and Harold A. Henderson, CG. I just finished it, and I'm excited to share my thoughts about with you. Genealogical Publishing Company sent me a copy of the book to review. I am grateful for the opportunity to read the book and the motivation that having this task provided. When I received the book last fall, I wondered when I would make time to read. I usually listen to all my content while I'm doing other tasks...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to find and use gazetteers in your genealogy research. Diana and Nicole discuss how to locate them using the FamilySearch Wiki, Google, and library catalogs, and what kind of helpful information they contain. They share several examples of helpful gazetteers, including Meyers Gazetteer for Germany, the U.S. Geographic Name Information System, Names in South Carolina, and more. Links Gazetteers - article at the FamilySearch Wiki FamilySearch Catalog list of Gazetteers The Fuzzy Gazetteer - allows you to find place names without knowing how to spell them GNIS - Geographic Names...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to analyze a record thoroughly and find clues for future research. Nicole is preparing her portfolio to submit to the Board for Certification of Genealogists, so we are discussing portfolio element 3 - Document Work - in conjunction with this subject. For this portfolio element, applicants are given a document to transcribe and analyze. We focus primarily on parts 3C, 3D, and 3E - creating a research question, analysis, and research plan from the document. We discuss how to use seemingly insignificant clues to broaden the scope of the research...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to include contextual information in your genealogical writing. Whether you are writing a research report, proof argument, or a family history narrative, adding context will aid you. You may want to flesh out an ancestor's life with details about their occupation and community, or add to your body of evidence by discussing the laws that prompted a record set's creation. Tune in as we discuss this important concept! Links Where to look for books of state laws and statutes: - Internet Archive - Google Books - HathiTrust Digital Library PERSI...
Have you used DNA test results to help with your genealogy research? Maybe you've heard that you can verify ancestors with DNA. Or perhaps you have formed a hypothesis about a brick wall ancestor's parents and would like to confirm it. You may want to identify the biological parents of a recent relative who was adopted. What is the best way to go about using DNA test results to meet these objectives? What tool could help you make discoveries? It may seem overwhelming to know your next step. Robin Wirthlin, our genetic genealogist, has created two decision-tree style flowcharts called...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to create DNA source citations. We will discuss the importance of citing and saving DNA information, the citation elements described in Genealogy Standard #5, and how to cite DNA matches and tools using this formula. We give several examples of what each element could be, from the DNA testing company name, to the details about an mtDNA haplogroup. Join us to learn about how to create citations in your DNA research. Links DNA Source Citations by Robin at Family Locket - includes the table with the 5 elements and...
Are you going to be at Rootstech 2020 in Salt Lake City? If so, we'd love to visit with you in person. For the first time, Family Locket Genealogists will have a booth in the Expo Hall for the entire conference. We have some exciting things planned to help you in your genealogy and family history endeavors. Research Like a Pro Meet-up and Research Like a Pro Ribbons Collecting ribbons for your conference name tag is a fun way to add a little bling to the week. We'll have green Research Like a Pro ribbons for anyone stopping by the...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to create a research plan with DNA sources and methods. Robin Wirthlin joins us as we discuss the next step in the Research Like a Pro with DNA process. We talk about the summary of known facts for documentary sources, and also for DNA sources. We go over how to identify possible sources and methods, including DNA analysis tools, then prioritize them. Throughout the episode, Nicole gives examples from an example research objective and plan - who were the parents of Malissa Welch? Join us as we discuss how to...
