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...
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 It? A Novice's Questions About Joining a Research Study Group by Nancy Brown Although I'd not done much actual research beyond exploring the tools of...
What do you do when you come to the end of your research project? How do you record your results, proof, and ideas for what to do next? The final step of a research project for a professional is to write up a report detailing what records were searched, what was found, what the evidence proves, and what to search next. You don't necessarily need to write a full scale report every time you finish a particular project, but you do need to write something! Several options make this a fun and rewarding task and one you'll thank yourself for...
How do you keep track of the numerous websites, books, microfilms, and other sources you might consult in your genealogy research? Do you only print or save links to the sources you found? What do you do when you don't find anything in a database? Learning to keep a research log and use source citations is the next step in your journey to research like a pro. The terms "research logs" and "source citations" might seem overwhelming but you'll be glad to know that it's not hard to keep a research log that has good source citations attached. In fact,...
Have you ever sat down at your computer to do some genealogy research and two hours later you come up for air? You've found interesting documents and looked at a lot of websites, but you didn't find what you wanted and you don't know where you looked? If so, you are not alone! Disciplining yourself to create a simple research plan and follow through is the hallmark of the true professional. The fourth in the Research Like a Pro series, in this article you'll build on what you've already learned. Each part of the series has an assignment to help...
When faced with a tough research problem, have you considered digging into the location? Often clues or even the answer to your question can be found with an in-depth look at the places your ancestor lived, worked, and died. Professional genealogists thoroughly research any new area as part of their planning and so can you! In Part 1 of the Research Like a Pro series, you learned to form a research objective with key identifiers that would guide you in creating a focused research plan. Your task from Part 2 of the series was to revisit everything you or others have...
