Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Diana’s new method for tracking research on her ancestors. She shares her Airtable base that has her ancestors, ahnentafel numbers, research status, and reports she has created. Join us as we discuss tracking research projects that you’ve done in an Airtable base. Transcript Links Tracking Research Projects in Airtable – blog post by Diana – https://familylocket.com/tracking-research-projects-in-airtable/ Six Levels of Ancestral Profiles – Level-up Challenge – Yvette Hoitink’s blog post – https://www.dutchgenealogy.nl/six-levels-ancestral-profiles/ Track Your Ancestral Research Template – Airtable Template by Diana – https://www.airtable.com/universe/exp81GxGwA5tGkPUO/track-your-ancestral-research-template Research Like a Pro Resources Research Like...
The final step in a research project is writing a source-cited report. Although that may sound intimidating, after you’ve worked through an entire research project, writing helps to clarify what you discovered and make connections. If you have to leave the research for a time, the report will help you remember what you did and the future research steps provide a starting point for the next project. I’m working to prove a longstanding parent-child link on my Shults ancestral line using DNA evidence based on Ancestry DNA ThruLines and documentary research. In part one of this series I discussed doing...
Have you been wanting to use DNA evidence to help solve a genealogical research question? Maybe you have learned about the types of DNA but haven’t tried researching matches and incorporating DNA evidence into a report. The Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) is offering a course this summer that will help you do exactly that. Intermediate DNA: Planning for and Conducting Research Using DNA and Documentary Sources is a unique course. You will bring your own genealogical question and work on it throughout the week. The course is coordinated by Karen Stanbary and includes the following faculty members:...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to use a genealogy research log. As you follow this step in the RLP process, you’ll add links and citations to your log to help you stay organized and keep track of what you did. This is a replay of episode 118 with new commentary about Airtable. Transcript Links RLP 118: Revisiting Research Logs https://airtable.com Goldie May – genealogy research assistant Research Ties – https://researchties.com/ Research Like a Pro Resources Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com – https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d Research...
Can DNA help us discover an unknown 4th great-grandfather? In the hopes that it can, I’m returning to my brick wall of identifying Cynthia (Dillard) Royston’s father. The Research Like a Pro with DNA study group is a perfect way to tackle a persistent research question. The structure of the assignments helps me stay on track and the process keeps me moving forward. I’ll be sharing my progress in this series. Will I finally be able to answer the question of who was Cynthia’s father? I don’t know. But I do know that I’ll be one step closer by the...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about recording your searches in a research log. We talk about the benefits of using spreadsheet over a document for a log and discuss the tools we like to use – Excel, Google Docs, Airtable. We go over an example from Diana’s Nancy (Briscoe) Frazier research log for how to fill out the columns. We also discuss what to do with your research log when you get ready to write your report – how to correlate all the information, put the puzzle pieces together, make an outline, compare and contrast information, and...
Airtable is a hybrid spreadsheet and database. Most database tools are beyond the technological level of typical users, so most people don’t use database tools. Yet, databases are highly useful. Luckily for us, Airtable is a database tool that doesn’t require that you know how to code. If you are familiar with spreadsheets, you’ll pick it up right away. Each database is called “base.” Think of it as a spreadsheet with multiple sheets/tabs. Each sheet within the base is a “table.” Rows in a table are called “records.” Columns in a table are called “fields.” Each field is customizable. You...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about organizing and keeping track of the names you find on records that don’t fit into your family tree. The friends, associates, and neighbors of your ancestors are important to know and research, but where do you record your findings? Can you add them to your family tree software? We discuss this question and more. Tune in to hear how you can organize your ancestor’s FAN club in using research notes, evidence analysis chronologies, timelines, research logs, Airtable, NameandPlace.com, Legacy Family Tree software, and more. Links National Genealogical Society Conference (NGS) Elizabeth...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to use a research log in your genetic genealogy research. We discuss the sources and methods to include in your log, how to best keep track of your DNA matches, correspondence logs, and tech tools that will help you be efficient. We discuss how to use a database tool called Airtable to help you with big projects where you have a lot of DNA matches and searches to keep track of. Links Healing and Family History: The Emotional Side of DNA – Robin’s RootsTech 2020 class, available in the RootsTech...
Updated 24 February 2022 When working on a case involving DNA test results, it may feel like you look at hundreds of DNA match pages, reports, family trees, and shared match lists each time you sit down to research. Do you want a better way to keep track of all the sources you consult in a DNA research project? It’s time to take your research log to the next level. In the Research Like a Pro with DNA series, we’ve talked about several steps for undertaking a focused research project about a specific research subject. Now we are ready to...
