This episode explores the ongoing genealogical project to identify the biological father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston, an ancestor who remains a mystery after years of research. Diana and Nicole focus on the fifth phase of this investigation, which involves utilizing DNA and documentary evidence to connect Cynthia to potential candidates among the Dillard men who drew lots in the 1832 Georgia Gold Lottery. Diana explains how she organizes this project using Airtable to track timelines...
Diana and Nicole examine the ongoing research project to identify the biological father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana summarizes previous research phases conducted through the Research Like a Pro with DNA study group, which have systematically tested Dillard candidates and narrowed the search using documentary evidence. She explains the genealogical background of Cynthia, who was born about 1815 in Georgia, and details the elimination of various candidates from earlier research phases. The discussion also covers...
Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer explore the value of writing an ancestor’s military story by correlating multiple sources. Diana uses her father Bob Shults’s World War II Navy records as a case study. She demonstrates how to use AI to cross-reference personal oral histories with official documents like muster rolls and discharge papers. Listeners learn how to build a comprehensive timeline that bridges the gap between limited personal recollections and formal military service records. The...
In this episode of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy podcast, hosts Diana and Nicole discuss the features and effectiveness of FamilySearch’s new “Simple Search” tool. They explore how this experiment allows users to search billions of full-text records using natural language queries rather than traditional forms. Diana shares her experience testing the tool with her father’s name, Bobby Gene Shults, demonstrating how the artificial intelligence parses results and helps distinguish between individuals with similar...
Diana and Nicole discuss how genealogists use artificial intelligence to transcribe handwritten, foreign-language historical documents. They review feedback from a survey regarding experiences with various AI tools, including Transkribus, Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and Leo. The researchers report positive experiences, with average accuracy ratings between 7.5 and 8 out of 10. Listeners learn which languages, such as Spanish, German, French, Latin, and Scandinavian, are commonly processed through these tools. The discussion highlights that while AI excels...
Nicole Dyer and Diana Elder explore Leo, a powerful handwritten text recognition platform designed specifically for researchers. Nicole interviews the creator, Jon Cooper, a PhD candidate at Stanford who developed the tool with a machine learning expert to address the difficulty of transcribing complex Elizabethan manuscripts. Listeners learn how Leo differs from general AI models by prioritizing faithful, accurate transcriptions of handwritten text rather than guessing words. The platform offers specialized features for genealogists, including...
Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer discuss the evolution of AI Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) tools, focusing on the platforms Nicole explored at RootsTech. They evaluate several key technologies used to decipher historical manuscripts. They discuss Kindex, which provides highly accurate transcriptions and a side-by-side editor for corrections. They also review Leo, an AI platform that handles secretary hand effectively and offers a side-by-side editor, though users should watch for minor hallucinations. Transkribus serves as a...
Diana and Nicole discuss the America 250 Ancestors series, which focuses on researching colonial ancestors who lived during the Revolutionary War era. Diana shares her recent trip to Mount Vernon, where she experienced Revolutionary War Weekend and visited the slave quarters and memorial to learn about the 317 enslaved individuals who lived on the estate. Listeners learn how to use historical context to tell the stories of their own ancestors who lived during this foundational...
Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer examine the current capabilities of artificial intelligence for mapping historical land records. Nicole tests ChatGPT’s ability to convert a metes and bounds description from an 1788 Arnold-West deed into an accurate land plat drawing. She compares the AI-generated results against a verified plat she previously created using DeedMapper software. Nicole experiments with several prompting strategies, including simple prompts, chain-of-thought, and meta-prompting. She discovers that while basic image generation struggles to...
Diana and Nicole share their recent visit to the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they explore the facility’s premier resources. Listeners learn how to use the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) to locate articles by keyword, surname, or locality. The pair explains the value of city directories for tracking individuals after 1950 to uncover addresses and occupations. They also offer guidance on utilizing published family histories, specifically on evaluating an...
