Have you been wanting to try the research like a pro process, but are feeling overwhelmed with all that you have to do? Maybe you have done the process once, or started the process, but got busy and didn’t finish. Diana and I have been brainstorming a new way for everyone to practice the research like a pro process in a simple, easy to follow format. We thought a daily challenge might work! So if you want a good start to genealogy in 2019, using best practices and effective habits, we encourage you to sign up for our daily challenge....
Have you heard the term “negative evidence” and wondered what that meant in your genealogy research? Is this the same as negative results when searching a database? This question comes up often with those working through the Research Like a Pro process, so let’s take a look at those two negatives and figure out what the difference is and how to effectively use them in our genealogy. Negative Searches It’s inevitable. We’re going to do a search in an online database, microfilm, or book and not find our person of interest. What do we do next? Do we jump to...
Have you thought about writing a family history story or book to share with your family? Maybe you have a famous ancestor who has grown larger than life with each subsequent generation and you’d like to find out the the real story. You might want to discover more about the bits and pieces of an ancestor’s life that have been passed down. If so, the Research Like a Pro process can give you an organized methodology to tackle this type of project. Study group graduate Kaye Shelley Once I had written the Research Like a Pro blog posts, I...
Is 2019 the year that you want to boost your research skills? RootsTech 2019 offers multiple classes designed to do just that. I will be teaching classes to help you learn how to use a research log to organize your genealogy and how to use the FamilySearch catalog to discover new records to break brick walls. I hope to see you there! As a RootsTech ambassador, I receive a free pass for myself and one for a FamilyLocket subscriber. No purchase necessary to enter the giveaway. How can you win a free pass? 1. Subscribe First you’ll need to subscribe...
Have you been interested in joining a Research Like a Pro Study Group, but worried about the time commitment? Perhaps the dates didn’t work for you or you were nervous about receiving peer feedback on your work. I’m excited to announce that Nicole and I are launching the Research Like a Pro E-course designed to give you the extra boost you might need in your research efforts. You’ll be able to work at your own pace and still receive valuable assistance along the way. Webinars The E-course will include lifetime access to eight webinars corresponding to chapters in the book....
In my research project to discover the actions of my relative during the Civil War, I learned the importance of starting with the right objective. There are three kinds of research objectives that most genealogy research projects fall into: – Identify an individual – Prove a family relationship – Discover ancestor actions I had chosen the objective to discover Moses W. Isenhour’s actions during the Civil War. Moses is the brother of my 4th great grandfather,...
We are thrilled that the print edition of Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide is now available on Amazon! To preview the content of the book, read the blog posts in our Research Like a Pro series. Today I want to tell about the journey of writing the book. But first, here’s a bit about our upcoming eCourse. We are creating a brand-new Research Like a Pro e-course, to be released this summer. Each part corresponds to the first 7 chapters in the book: Research Objectives Analyze Your Sources Locality Research Research Planning Source Citations Research Logs Report Writing Organization and Productivity The...
Today I’m sharing two pieces of exciting news: I solved my Keaton brick wall, and Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide is now available on paperback! After editing, formatting, and preparing work samples for the book for the last two months, I have become very familiar with the process. To check it out, click here: Research Like a Pro on Amazon. Learning to research like a pro is what helped me solve my brick wall, and that’s what I’m sharing in this post. I’m so excited to share how I solved the brick wall of my 3rd great grandmother Lucinda (Keaton)...
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 information. I’ve been researching George W. Dillard, born 1781 in Virginia and died 1854 in Alabama. He is the prime suspect for the father of...
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 sessions, each group member did a research project from start to finish. Some discovered important information breaking through a long standing brick wall and others...
