Research Tips – Page 80

A Newbie’s Experience at SLIG – the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

Feb 14, 2018

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...

Genealogy Evidence Analysis – Free Template and Lucinda Keaton Sample

Feb 8, 2018

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:...

SLIG Night at the FHL – Diana’s Classes on Citations and Report Writing

Jan 24, 2018

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...

Back to the Basics with Probate Records – Part 2

Jan 15, 2018

Have you discovered a will for your ancestor but are puzzled by the legal terminology? You might have extracted some information like names of sons or daughters but aren’t sure what to do with the rest. Back to the Basics with Probate Records – Part 1 discussed what information might be in a probate record and how to locate the records for your ancestors. Now it’s time to learn about the document that is often first...

African American Research, Rootstech 2108, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. : A Winning Combination

Dec 30, 2017

Rootstech 2018 is around the corner and I’m starting to get excited – especially with the announcement that Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will be the keynote speaker for Saturday, March 3rd. If that name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve either watched or heard of the PBS television series, Finding Your Roots. The Rootstech homepage gives a little snippet of information to whet our appetite for what is coming. Imagine meeting with prominent American celebrities...

Learning to Research Like a Pro

Dec 27, 2017

Have you ever had an idea and wondered if it would work? Several months ago at the beginning of the summer of 2017 I started writing the “Research Like a Pro” blog posts with the hope of starting a study group of genealogists, each researching their own families. Several people signed up for the inaugural Research Like a Pro study group and in September we began. Meeting twice a month for a total of six...

Am I Up to It? A Novice’s Questions About Joining a Research Study Group

Dec 13, 2017

Have you been thinking of joining our upcoming Research Like a Pro Study Group? You may have wondered if you had enough research experience or if it would be worth the money and time. Participants from the inaugural group came from varied backgrounds, but each had a positive experience, learning skills to help them move to the next level of research expertise. Today self-proclaimed research novice, Nancy Brown, tells her story. Am I Up to...

Doing a Genealogy Research Project from Start to Finish

Dec 5, 2017

Have you ever completed a genealogy research project from the beginning to end? From objective to report? I just completed one and I want to share what I learned. I did the project for our Research Like a Pro study group. I wasn’t planning to join the group at first – I thought I would just help in the background with whatever Diana needed. She developed the idea for the study group and was finishing...

Ancestry DNA Matches: Three Tools You May Not be Using

Nov 22, 2017

Are you taking advantage of the tools Ancestry DNA has provided to discover and track your cousin matches? If not, read on and discover three tools on the website that are often overlooked and can greatly aid your DNA research. Tool #1: Add a note To illustrate I’m using my first cousin’s DNA match (with permission) to show you how effective and easy this can be. The screenshot below shows the information displayed on...

Back to the Basics with Probate Records – Part 1

Nov 2, 2017

Have you explored probate records in the search for your family? Or do they sound too difficult to tackle? With the digitization of microfilm on FamilySearch and indexes available on Ancestry, probate records are much easier to access than in the past. With an estimated 25% of the United States population leaving a will and an estimated 50% mentioned in a will, why wouldn’t you check out these valuable records? When should you turn to probate records?...