Artificial Intelligence tools have made huge strides in transcribing handwritten text in recent years. I’ve already written about FamilySearch’s use of AI to transcribe thousands of deed and probate images here: AI-Powered Full-Text Search of Handwritten Text at FamilySearch. In this post, I’ll share how I’ve been using ChatGPT 4.0 (the paid version) and Claude (free version) to upload images (.jpg and .png) and transcribe them quickly. These large language models (LLMs) do a pretty...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Chapter 12 of Research Like a Pro with DNA, “What’s Next? Publishing, Productivity, and Further Education.” We discuss updating family tree software at the completion of a project, sharing reports, anonymizing living individuals, asking DNA matches for permission to be included in a publicly shared report or proof argument, and ideas for how to share your written conclusion. We also discuss DNA proof arguments and meeting...
It’s exciting to have new DNA analysis tools continually developed by amazingly smart and creative people! Hybrid AutoSegment is a brand-new 3rd-party DNA tool from Genetic Affairs. This tool gathers DNA segment data from 23andMe, Family Tree DNA, My Heritage, and GEDmatch together in one report. Having the segment information all in one place streamlines the process of examining, analyzing, and figuring out which of our DNA segments we inherited from specific ancestors. Now, we...
Are you ready for a new productivity tip? Imagine you are in the middle of a research session with ten different tabs open on Google Chrome. Glancing at the clock you realize you have to join an online meeting and close your tabs, but you hate to lose the web-pages that will take you several minutes to relocate and reopen. Perhaps your internet has slowed down because you have so many tabs open but again,...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about what to do after you have finished all the RLP with DNA steps. Robin Wirthlin, genetic genealogist, joins our discussion. If you haven’t reached a proven conclusion, you’ll want to start on the next phase of our research. Choose a sub-objective to work on next – maybe you have a hypothesis to test and see if you can eliminate. We also discuss DNA blogs, podcasts, classes,...
Genealogy Standard #28 states, “Genealogists attach citations to images and printouts.”[1] This is to ensure that a record will never be without its citation, but what is the best way to do this? I have tried a few different approaches with varying degrees of success, but then I tried Canva, a free online publishing tool that makes it possible to “design anything and publish anywhere.” I had been using Canva for several years to create...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about how to choose items from your next action list based on your time, context, energy, and so forth. Engaging with your next actions list is how you actually get things done in your system. We’ll talk about tools we use and how our circumstances often dictate what we choose to do at any point during the day. Join us as we discuss getting our family history...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the fourth step in Getting Things Done, reflecting. Regularly capturing the new items that have risen to the surface, reviewing your calendar and project lists, and processing new materials can keep your mind free to do its best work. We discuss the weekly review, getting clear, getting current, and getting creative. We also talk about the big picture review and considering the larger goals that may...
What lies ahead for genealogy and family history in 2020? Taking a look back at 2019 can be helpful in predicting where we might be headed in 2020. The most viewed blog posts on Family Locket for 2019 included those on DNA, Organization, and Productivity. If you missed any of these, I invite you to do some browsing and see if there is something that could help you in your research for 2020. Below are...
When you sit down at your computer for that devoted family history / genealogy time, how do you decide what to work on first? Should you go to work on a research project, watch a webinar, or browse new DNA matches? If you’ve been following the Getting Things Done method, you’ll have a task list of next actions for various projects. Now it’s time to engage. Choose a next action and go to work. This...
