RootsTech 2023 Virtual Booth
About Us
Welcome to Family Locket! Diana Elder, AG, and Nicole Elder Dyer are professional genealogists who educate through their blog, books, and teaching. Diana and Nicole are the mother-daughter team who authored Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide and are co-hosts of the free Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast. Diana is an Accredited Genealogist professional specializing in the gulf-south United States region. She is a commissioner on the Board of the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen). Nicole is a professional genealogist who focuses on Southern U.S. research and incorporating DNA evidence into tough cases. Diana, Nicole, and Robin Wirthlin authored Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence.
Scroll down to find coupon codes for our online courses & free research guides.
Free Weekly Podcast
“I recently discovered RLP and am making my way through all of the prior episodes. Superb content. Diana and Nicole present a professional way of doing genealogy in an approachable and helpful manner, always from the point of encouragement.” -Turpinm, July 2022
Blog
We share new blog posts about records, DNA evidence, tutorials for DNA tools, examples of writing about our own ancestors, and more. A new blog post comes out each week. Go to FamilyLocket.com to see the latest blog posts. Here are some popular series:
- Creating Gephi Network Graphs by Nicole Elder Dyer
- Back to the Basics with U.S. Records by Diana Elder, AG
- Tracing Your Irish Ancestors by Jessica Taylor Morgan, AG
Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly emails from us about new blog posts, podcast episodes, upcoming lectures, professional research tips, new product announcements, and more.
Airtable Quick Reference
Title: Airtable Research Logs for Genealogy
Series: Research Like a Pro Quick Reference
Author: Nicole Elder Dyer
Publication: February 2023 by Family Locket Books, Highland, Utah
Digital Download
Airtable Research Logs for Genealogy is available as a PDF download in our store. You will receive two files – one for professional printing on two legal-sized (11×17″) pages, and the other for at-home printing on four letter-sized (8.5×11″) pages. Purchase here: Airtable Research Logs for Genealogy – Quick Reference
Laminated
Visit our in-person RootsTech booth, #202, to purchase a laminated Airtable quick reference guide. The four-page document is a laminated, folded reference guide that you can keep near your computer to remind you of Airtable research log tips and tricks.
Research Like a Pro Webinar Series
The syllabus will be a research report. The webinars will be presented via Zoom and recorded for those who cannot attend live. Purchasing the 2023 webinar series gives you lifetime access to the twelve lectures presented in 2023. Click here to register and view the schedule of presentations:
Research Like a Pro Webinar Series 2023
To register for $45 instead of the regular price ($60), use the coupon code websaltlakecity23 – the code expires 31 March 2023.
Research Like a Pro with DNA Book
Research Like a Pro with DNA, is available in e-book format and paperback! Click here to purchase at Amazon.
Title: Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence
Description: Would you like to use DNA evidence in your genealogy research? Do you have thousands of cousin matches, but no idea what to do next? Perhaps you have found some evidence to support your theories, but are not confident in your conclusions. Learn a step-by-step method to organize and use your DNA test results to find and confirm ancestors in your family tree. Diana Elder, AG, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin share the method they use in their professional research to incorporate DNA with documentary evidence. Study the methodology in each chapter, then apply it in your own research by completing the associated task. You will group and evaluate your matches, diagram descent from the common ancestor, plan next research steps, track correspondence and research in a log, and write a report incorporating DNA evidence. Work samples and templates are included.
Excerpt from the Foreword by Paul Woodbury
Paul Woodbury, MEd, AG is the DNA team lead at Legacy Tree Genealogists where he has helped to solve hundreds of genetic genealogy cases. He also regularly presents webinars and genealogy conference lectures. He currently teaches and coordinates “Introduction to Genetic Genealogy” at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Read more about Paul at the Association of Professional Genealogist’s directory.
Over the years I have continually refined my own research processes in genetic genealogy. At the same time, I have met other practitioners who are continually refining their own. Throughout this journey, I have found the truth in Abraham Maslow’s famous quote that “it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” When I am successful with one approach, my first inclination has sometimes been to force every new research problem into the same strict approach. Gradually, I have learned that not every research project is best suited for my hammer du jour – my favorite new tool, approach, or methodology. As I have adopted and mastered new tools, methodologies, approaches, and strategies my arsenal has grown to the point that I can now consider a research problem on its own merits and select, prioritize, and implement the most appropriate strategies and approaches based on the context of a problem. If you follow the steps of Research Like a Pro with DNA, you will get to this point too. The book presents a process for researching, analyzing, and writing about DNA evidence, and while this process is strict enough to reinforce careful and thorough research habits, it is also flexible enough to permit customization for the needs of a particular problem. Rather than presenting you with a hammer which will fail you anytime you face something other than a nail, Research Like a Pro with DNA provides you with a toolbox, instruction manual, and resources for regular updates and add-ons.
Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse – Coupon for $50 off
Our Research Like a Pro with DNA online course is available for just $225 (regularly $275) until 31 March 2023 using coupon code ProDNASaltLakeCity23 – click below to register or learn more.
Would you like to learn how to use DNA in your genealogical research? Do you need a step-by-step process to guide you? The Research Like a Pro (RLP) with DNA e-Course will help you make progress on your goals, whether to confirm a relationship proven through documentary research, test an hypothesized ancestral relationship, or discover unknown parents of an ancestor.
Learn more and Register for the RLP with DNA Online Course Here
Learn how to assess and organize your DNA matches, create a research objective, make a research plan, keep a research log, and write a report. Watch twelve lectures recorded by Nicole Dyer, Diana Elder, and Robin Wirthlin. Take quizzes and join our private Facebook community to share your assignments and receive feedback. Check in during our live monthly office hours session to get help in a group setting. The e-Course will give you the extra boost you need in your research efforts. You’ll be able to work at your own pace and still receive valuable assistance along the way.
“My research objective focused on my biological father. The process of researching his identity and paternity issues revealed many opportunities to correct deficiencies in my research practices such as: how to do proper citations, additional places to research, analyzing documents and other types of information, how to document my DNA analysis and findings. This course has changed my life and has improved my research capabilities enormously! Diana, Nicole and Robin have thought of everything, and then some, when it comes to teaching genealogical research. They put in enormous effort in their many examples, discussions and class hours that made it all worth while. I wish the course and the Research Like a Pro with DNA Book had been available years ago. I give this course 5 Stars!!!”
– John from St. George, Utah, course graduate
Research Like a Pro Online Course – Updated in 2022
Use coupon code ProSaltLakeCityRT23 to purchase this independent study course for $125 instead of $175. Code expires 31 March 2023. Learn more and register using the link below.
Could you use some structure in your genealogy research? Do you need help breaking down your brick walls? Take our Research Like a Pro independent study course to learn how to analyze records, make a research plan, create citations, keep a research log, and write a report. Watch nine video lectures recorded by Diana Elder, AG, and Nicole Dyer. This course was updated in 2022 to include all the best tips and technology.
Learn More and Register for the Research Like a Pro Online Course Here
Take quizzes, listen to our free podcast, and read chapters from the book. Join our private Facebook community to share your assignments and receive feedback. Check in during our monthly live office hours to get help in a group setting. The e-Course will 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.
“As a strong, mostly self taught, intermediate genealogist, I was longing for more formal education. It needed to be something I could do at home and at my own pace. The Research Like a Pro e-course gave me the tools to be a methodical researcher and a more organized genealogist. Through the course assignments I have mastered both creating citations and report writing, two aspects of genealogy research that were very intimidating to me. Diana and Nicole are both supportive and helpful throughout the process via email, Facebook messages and office hours, as is the RLP Facebook community. I am happy and proud that I was able to complete this challenge.”
-Susan, RLP eCourse graduate
Books, Felt Family Tree Pattern, and DNA Process Charts
Digital Book Deals
Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide is available for only $4.99 on Amazon Kindle, or $19.99 for the paperback. Research Like a Pro with DNA is available for $5.99 on Kindle and $29.99 for the paperback. Find Names for the Temple is just $2.99 for Kindle and $11.99 for the paperback.
You can also find a felt family tree kit pattern (PDF download for $2.99) and DNA process tree charts (PDF download for $10) in our online store.
In-Person Book Deals
Visit our in-person RootsTech booth, #202, to purchase our Research Like a Pro books, laminated Airtable quick reference, and laminated DNA Process Charts at special conference prices.
Study Groups
In the Research Like a Pro with DNA study group next spring (2024), we will follow a step-by-step process to help you either confirm a relationship proven through traditional research or test a hypothesized ancestral relationship. RLP with DNA focuses on using autosomal DNA in your genealogical research. One of the prerequisites for the study group is to have access to your autosomal DNA test results. You may also wish to include evidence from Y-DNA and Mitochondrial DNA tests in your research project, but these tests are not required for the study group. Click here for more information: Research Like a Pro with DNA Study Group.
Join our email list for updates: Study Group Email List.
DNA Tools Bell Curve
DNA tools help us work with our DNA results. There are so many tools—which ones do we use first? What is a logical order for using tools to work through DNA research projects? This bell curve is a great visual of which DNA tools to use and a general guide of how much time to spend working with them. Read more here: https://familylocket.com/dna-tools-bell-curve/
Updated for 2023:
Free Downloads
As a thank you for visiting our booth, we wanted to give you some free documents. Here are some of our popular freebies available to download:
U.S. Census Records Guide – if the link doesn’t work, copy and paste this into your browser: https://familylocket.lpages.co/census-cheat-sheet/
Probate Records Guide – or copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://familylocket.lpages.co/probate/
U.S. Federal Census Tables 1790-1950 Template
Children’s Activity for Family Discovery Day
Need a fun activity for children or youth? Print this inherited traits worksheet. Kids can interview their siblings, parents, grandparents, and other relatives to find out which physical traits they share in common. This two-page worksheet also includes an explanation of dominant and recessive traits, and describes several traits including hitchhiker’s thumb, freckles, cheek dimples, attached earlobes, tongue roll, and long second toe. Download a PDF of the worksheet here: Inherited Traits Worksheet
RootsTech Classes
Below we are sharing the names of our class presentations for the RootsTech in-person 2023 conference. Check the RootsTech in-person website or app to view the days, times, and locations for these classes. The class schedule is here.
Nicole Dyer
Using Multiple Autosomal DNA Test Takers to Solve Distant Research Questions – Syllabus
How to Use Airtable for Tracking DNA Matches – Workshop (limit 40 attendees) – Syllabus
Diana Elder, AG
Caring for Your Family Tree: How to Prune and Graft In New Branches – Syllabus
Research Planning for the Win: Next Steps for Breaking Down a Brick Wall – Syllabus
Tracking a Migrating Ancestor Through Land and Tax Records – Syllabus
Everything You Wanted to Know About Accreditation: Your Questions Answered (with Mindy Taylor and Jana Greenhalgh)
Powering Up Your Research Skills: Presented by ICAPGen (with Mindy Taylor and Jana Greenhalgh)
Diana and Nicole
DNA and Genealogy Research: How to Confirm an Ancestral Line (with Diana Elder, AG)
- Syllabus: DNA and Genealogy Research Power Hour
- Case study example report: Mark Elder Biological Elder Line Report PDF file