Would you like to try a research tool that has the ability to clarify your findings and make connections? Creating a table might be just the key to wrapping your brain around a difficult research problem. I use tables in every research project. Evidence analysis, census enumerations, and other records take shape when put into a table. Organizing the data by individual, date, and place can make all of the difference in understanding the...
Should children take DNA tests? Thought leaders and genetic genealogy experts say yes. In keynote speeches and interviews at RootsTech 2018, Cece Moore, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Living DNA co-founders David Nicholson and Hannah Morden, reveal their thoughts about the booming DNA industry and how it can benefit children. Overcoming Prejudice LivingDNA is making great strides in the industry, especially in pinning down ethnic origins to specific regions within the British Isles. Yet...
On Saturday, our local genealogy society (PCGS) learned about the power of DNA from genetic genealogist Cece Moore. Cece painted a vivid picture of autosomal DNA inheritance – that our DNA is literally made up of small pieces of our ancestors. We carry bits of them in our cells and this information can be used to help us solve long standing genealogy brick walls. Cece said that after testing with Ancestry DNA, we should sort our...
Have you ever saved a web address, commonly known as the URL, only to discover later that the web page no longer exists? What about a website that you had used many times and now can’t locate? This can be annoying in normal life. In genealogical research it can be catastrophic. Losing access to a website that included crucial information about your family is a worst case scenario, especially if you didn’t record the information....
Today at RootsTech I’ll be teaching about Confederate soldiers and how to learn about them with online collections and articles. The online syllabus with links to collections is available here: Sources to Research Confederate Soldiers Online – RootsTech syllabus with additional resources After the class today, I will also share the slides from the presentation. I started researching my Confederate soldiers when I taught my children about Memorial Day last year. My 7-year-old son wanted...
Presenting “Source Citations, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Diana presented two classes today at RootsTech, and we are sharing her presentation slides as PDF files for you to download and view for future reference: Source Citations Getting Organized One Paper at a Time We hope these are helpful for you! It was fantastic to meet so many of you today. If you are interested in purchasing our book that launched this week on...
Are you ready for RootsTech 2018? You might be here in Utah ready to attend in person or participating from the comfort of your home. Either way, you can share in the excitement. Find a way to connect and feel a sense of belonging in this wonderful world of family history. To help those of you at home connect and feel that sense of belonging, RootsTech will be live streaming the keynote speakers and several...
Have you heard of SLIG – the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy? I recently attended and want to share my experience today. I had heard of SLIG and other institutes but had never attended. Because registration is several months prior, in the summer of 2017, I decided to attend my first institute. Browsing the course titles, I decided “A Practical Approach: Establishing Genealogical Proof with DNA” would be the most beneficial for my research. Knowing...
In our Research Like a Pro study group, one of the first assignments is to analyze existing evidence. This is actually my favorite assignment. It is so fun to comb through what I’ve already gathered about a research question and look for clues to help me see where to go next in my research. I’ve been studying Genealogy Standards, a book published by The Board for Certification of Genealogists to better understand the different parts of analysis:...
I wish I were in Salt Lake City! Diana is attending SLIG, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, this week and I’m feeling left out. SLIG is a week-long advanced genealogical education conference sponsored by the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA). She is taking Course 13: A Practical Approach: Establishing Genealogical Proof with DNA. You can read more about it here -scroll down to the section about Course 13. To see what Diana is learning at SLIG this...
