Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about locality research. As we revisit the steps of the research like a pro process, we are discussing Diana’s project about Nancy Briscoe. Nancy lived in several places, but this objective focused on her early years, during which time she lived in Arkansas and Missouri. Diana created two simple locality guides for two Missouri counties and used the Arkansas state guide she had already created. We discuss how to make your own locality guide to become familiar with the place you are researching and the records that are available there. Links...
As you follow the research like a pro process and perform locality research, you may wish to purchase books and guides that help you with a particular region. Many guides exist, and today I’m spotlighting on from Genealogical Publishing Company. They sent me a copy of their updated Virginia Genealogy Research laminated guide by Carol McGinnis. This four-page research aid contains basic facts about Virginia, its history, settlement, and record sources. Records highlighted include vital, church, cemetery, land, probate, military, census and tax. Each section includes tips for locating the records. There is even a section about supplementary sources, including...
Have you been dragging your feet when it comes to researching your ancestors in a different country? Reading historical documents can be difficult and is only compounded when another language is involved. Perhaps the records are confusing and the jurisdictions are different. Sooner or later you’ll need to tackle a new research locality, so let’s explore two excellent websites that can take the pain out of the learning: The FamilySearch Research Wiki and The Family History Guide. Both are free websites and are devoted to helping us become better researchers. I’m working in the new locality of Mexico, so I’ll...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to find and use gazetteers in your genealogy research. Diana and Nicole discuss how to locate them using the FamilySearch Wiki, Google, and library catalogs, and what kind of helpful information they contain. They share several examples of helpful gazetteers, including Meyers Gazetteer for Germany, the U.S. Geographic Name Information System, Names in South Carolina, and more. Links Gazetteers – article at the FamilySearch Wiki FamilySearch Catalog list of Gazetteers The Fuzzy Gazetteer – allows you to find place names without knowing how to spell them GNIS – Geographic Names...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to include contextual information in your genealogical writing. Whether you are writing a research report, proof argument, or a family history narrative, adding context will aid you. You may want to flesh out an ancestor’s life with details about their occupation and community, or add to your body of evidence by discussing the laws that prompted a record set’s creation. Tune in as we discuss this important concept! Links Where to look for books of state laws and statutes: – Internet Archive – Google Books – HathiTrust Digital Library PERSI...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about locating the route your ancestors might have taken as they traveled to a new area. Exploring migration could open up new areas of research in your genealogy brick walls. Taking a look at the historical roads and trails that our ancestors possibly traveled can add to their story and help understand more about their lives. It might even lead to more discoveries that could expand our knowledge of the family and extend the ancestry. Join us as we discuss how to learn more about migration paths and trails. Links Back to...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the locality guide step of the Research Like a Pro process, and how you can use DNA information in this part of the process. Even if you don’t like to travel, your DNA has been places! There are myriad places where our countless ancestors lived over the course of time. Many of these ancestors passed their DNA on to us. We each have a multitude of DNA segments that can be traced back to specific ancestors or ancestral couples. An exciting aspect of DNA research is that it can help us...
Even if you don’t like to travel, your DNA has been places! There are myriad places where our countless ancestors lived over time. Many of these ancestors passed their DNA on to us. We each have a multitude of DNA segments that can be traced back to specific ancestors or ancestral couples. An exciting aspect of DNA research is that it can help us learn where our ancestors came from and where they settled. As you use DNA information in conjunction with sound genealogical research, you will learn about the travels of your DNA segments and the stories that are...
Have you heard of PERSI, short for the PERiodical Source Index? I recently used this amazing resource to discover an article about a very specific research question. If you’ve heard of PERSI, but not known how to use it, today I’ll be sharing 4 steps to get you started. First of all, a little background on PERSI. For over a hundred years, genealogy articles have been written and published by thousands of societies and organizations worldwide. These publications are often titled “quarterlies” because four would be produced each year, or quarterly. Members of the society or organization would receive the...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss the process of making a locality guide. If you are feeling unsure about how much information to add and how to know if you’re finished, you’ll want to take a listen! Links ArchiveGrid – 5 million records describing archival materials held in archives, libraries, museums, etc. Periodical Source Index (PERSI) at FindMyPast.com FamilySearch Research Wiki FamilySearch Catalog Purchase our book Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide on Amazon to receive the locality guide template. Research Like a Pro Part 3: Where Did They Live? blog post by Diana RLP 4:...
