If you’re like me and overwhelmed by DNA and this new wealth of information for genealogists, I am going through my experience with the Research Like a Pro with DNA e-course to help those looking for a way to get started! This is the fifth post in the series. In the fourth step of the RLP with DNA process, Analyze Your Sources and DNA Matches, I went through the traditional genealogy records I had collected...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with co-founder of The Family History Guide, Bob Taylor. The FH Guide is a free website that aggregates learning resources for beginner and intermediate researchers to learn about genealogy research in step-by-step modules. Bob talks with us about the resources available at the FH Guide and walks us through the website. Links The Family History Guide: A Researcher’s Friend https://www.thefhguide.com/ Kids Corner at the FH...
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...
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,...
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 Reading historical documents can be difficult and is only compounded when another language is involved.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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...