In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss Nicole’s research adventures in Love County, Oklahoma, focusing on tax records. Nicole shares her experience of finding valuable genealogical treasures in an old jail, detailing the challenges she faced, such as a lack of workspace and a dying phone battery, and how she adapted. She explains the organization of the tax records, including multiple volumes per year and different organizational systems for land versus personal property and poll...
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana discuss Nicole’s second great-grandmother, Alice “Allie” Frazier Harris, focusing on her nurturing nature. Listeners will learn about Alice’s birth in Montague County, Texas, and her parents, Richard Frazier and Nancy E. Briscoe. Richard was a Civil War veteran. They also discuss Alice’s school years, her marriage to Dock Harris in 1904, and her experiences with motherhood. Alice had four children, two of whom passed...
Ever had an unsuccessful research trip where you spent time and money traveling to a facility, only to leave feeling frustrated and empty-handed? This is the first full post in our Onsite Research series (introduced here), where we’re diving into how to prepare for an onsite research trip and the essential research planning that should be done in advance. The good news is that with proper preparation, you can avoid those disappointing experiences and make...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Michelle Dickens, CG, a member of the Research Like a Pro Facebook group, who recently completed her application for certification through the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Michelle shares how she prepared for certification through studying textbooks, the RLP podcast and books, and working on her work samples. Join us for a fun talk with Michelle. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Nicole’s ProGen study group assignment to write a family narrative about one generation in a family. We discuss Nicole and Diana’s ancestor, Thomas Bradley, his life in Lincolnshire, England, and his four illegitimate children. Join us as we discuss the process of acquiring records about his life, organizing the information into a narrative, and selecting details about his life to include in the narrative. Transcript Nicole...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the second portfolio element for certification: development activities. In this element, you list the genealogy-related activities that helped you prepare for certification and share how they helped you. We discuss several educational opportunities and how they help you learn more about genealogy standards, records, and methodology. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 110: Development Activities for Certification. Welcome to Research Like a...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about portfolio element four: the research report prepared for another person. To apply to the Board for Certification of Genealogists you must submit a research report that meets standards. You cannot submit a report that focuses on your own ancestors. Listen in as we discuss the requirements, best practices for reports, and the rubrics for grading this portfolio element. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like a...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about proof arguments. We discuss different types of proofs, including proof statements, proof summaries, and proof arguments. Then we discuss the requirements for the case study element of the portfolio for certification and go over the rubric indicators that show if a case study has met the standards. We talk about resources for helping you with proofs and logical arguments. We also discuss various methods for organizing...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the Kinship Determination Project (KDP), the narrative family history work sample portfolio element submitted to the Board for Certification of Genealogists. The KDP element shows your ability to prove parent-child links as well as tell the story of a family in their unique place and time. There are three formats of narrative family histories – narrative genealogy, narrative lineage, and narrative pedigree. We discuss these terms...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to analyze a record thoroughly and find clues for future research. Nicole is preparing her portfolio to submit to the Board for Certification of Genealogists, so we are discussing portfolio element 3 – Document Work – in conjunction with this subject. For this portfolio element, applicants are given a document to transcribe and analyze. We focus primarily on parts 3C, 3D, and 3E – creating...
