Are you keeping your genealogy systems updated and functional? You might have spent a considerable amount of time organizing your records and prioritizing projects, but then you took a research trip, attended a conference, or watched a webinar, and now have a stack of papers and a flash drive full of digital records. If you're feeling weighed down again, the step you might be missing is reflection. Regularly capturing the new items that have risen to the surface, reviewing your calendar and project lists, and processing new materials can keep your mind free to do its best work. This is...
Have you discovered the value of using a research log? If not, you might want to experiment with using one for your next research project. Fine tuning a research log that worked for me was a major benefit of the accreditation process. When I started adding DNA as evidence in my research, I needed to tweak the log to reflect my correspondence with my DNA matches, I've shared each step of my DNA research project to prove Benjamin Cox as the father of Rachel Cox and linked to those articles below. Now it's time to reveal my research plan and...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about U.S. tax records and the various types you might encounter. Each state decided how to tax their citizens a little differently. Colonial Virginia had tithables and quitrents. Later, these were replaced with poll taxes. Most tax records fall into three categories, which we discuss - poll, real property, and personal property. Nicole shares how poll taxes in North Carolina help determine the ages of John Johnson's sons and separate him from other men of the same name. We also discuss a combined tax record on a preprinted tax form in Cass...
When working on a case involving DNA test results, it may feel like you look at hundreds of DNA match pages, reports, family trees, and shared match lists each time you sit down to research. Do you want a better way to keep track of all the sources you consult in a DNA research project? It's time to take your research log to the next level. In the Research Like a Pro with DNA series, we've talked about several steps for undertaking a focused research project about a specific research subject. Now we are ready to discuss step 9 -...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about using tax records to solve genealogy research questions. This is the first of a three part series about tax records. Our examples are from U.S. research, but most countries tax their citizens, and the same general principles apply to researching there as well. In this part of the series, we tell you about three steps for extracting information from tax records, putting the data in a research log, correlating the data in a table, and then writing a summary of your conclusions. Diana solved a case about three generations of the...
I am new to genetic genealogy. I began to realize several months ago that I needed to add DNA research to my list of skills, so I purchased Ancestry DNA kits for myself and my husband at RootsTech in February. I received my results and didn't really know what I should do next, so I started reading the articles about DNA right here at Family Locket and listening to all of the Research Like a Pro podcasts about DNA research. I recently joined the Research Like a Pro with DNA Study Group, and it has been fantastic so far! Part...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Hazel Scullin, who solved an unknown parentage case in her family using DNA. Hazel is a recent graduate of Brigham Young University with a BA in Family History. She walks us through the steps she used to come to a conclusion about the father of her grandmother, Jeanie. Jeanie was born in Salt Lake City in 1943, and her biological mother was from San Diego. Using traditional genealogy research and DNA evidence, Hazel found Jeanie's father. Listen in to find out how! Links Hazel's Twitter https://twitter.com/HazelNutTreeGen Hazel's Email: hazelskyscullin@gmail.com ...
This series is about how I found my grandmother's father with DNA. To read the other posts in the series, click below: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 For many people working on genealogical projects for adoptees, connecting with the biological family is the end goal. You never know how people will react to this kind of news, but it's hard not to get excited about the possibilities of a relationship. After I connected with some members of my grandma's biological family via Facebook, they quickly welcomed us to their family. They were so excited to...
Are you ready to get your family history and genealogy papers and processes organized? Those stacks of file folders, documents, and lists of to-do items aren't going to help you make progress in your research until you have an organizational method that works for you. If you don't know where to start, I have some ideas to help you! This article is part three in my series on applying concepts from David Allen's book Getting Things done: the art of stress-free productivity to my personal family history projects. Previously I wrote about capturing all of our projects in my article: Family...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is about the locality guide step of the Research Like a Pro process, and how you can use DNA information in this part of the process. Even if you don’t like to travel, your DNA has been places! There are myriad places where our countless ancestors lived over the course of time. Many of these ancestors passed their DNA on to us. We each have a multitude of DNA segments that can be traced back to specific ancestors or ancestral couples. An exciting aspect of DNA research is that it can help us...
