Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is another interview with Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse member, Allison Kotter. In this series, Allison shares her experience studying each lesson in the course and how she has applied the lessons to her own family. This episode covers the assignments for lessons 7 and 8 in the course. Allison tells about creating a research plan that includes both DNA and documentary sources. She also talks about following her plan, what she found, and using a research log. She discovered some issues with intermarriage in the south, so we discuss pedigree...
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 eighth post in the series. In the seventh step of the RLP with DNA process, Research Planning – Selecting DNA Tools & Methodology, I made a research plan incorporating both traditional and DNA sources in order to help me make progress on my research objective for my first ever genealogy project with DNA: “The objective of...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is a continuation of Nicole’s research on Robert Daugherty and Sarah Taylor of Craven County, North Carolina and Warren County, Kentucky. In the last episode, we reviewed the objective of the project, to find the children of Robert and Sarah, the timeline, and the locality research. This episode focuses on the research plan, log, and findings and how those were presented in the report. Read the report below. Links Who Were the Children of Robert Daugherty and Sarah Taylor? Report by Nicole Research Like a Pro eCourse Study Group – more information and...
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...
Have you thought about the steps to take to work through a DNA research project? Have you ever been stuck or lost during a project and wondered what you should do next? What do you do? I’ve thought about it a lot, and it motivated me to create DNA Process Trees that have a stepwise model/instructions/flowchart of the main steps to take when working through a DNA research objective. The steps help me maximize the research time I have available. Use coupon code DNAProcess25 to get 25% off the charts until 10/3/20 I have also added some logistical steps...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is a celebration of our 100th episode! We are excited to share our top ten tips about how to research like a pro. We put the list together based on the questions we are most commonly asked in study groups and in our Facebook group. Listen in to find out more about objectives, timelines, locality guides, hypotheses, researching in phases, layered citations, multiple pages in a research log, and getting your report done. Links NGS Virtual Conference Family Locket NGS Sale – Coupon code NGS2020 Peeling Back the Layers: Online Source Citations Part...
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 Richard Miller’s new chrome extension, Goldie May. The extension logs each website you visit and offers helpful research guidance for research in the United States. Start with a person in your FamilySearch Family Tree, then set an objective. Goldie May advises you where to look for locality information, suggests reviewing the ancestor’s timeline, and reviewing the sources already attached. From there you can set additional tasks to do and continue to research. Richard hopes to add more locations outside U.S. research soon. Join us as we talk with Richard about this...
Have you ever wished an automated research log could track all the websites you visit during a research session? Me too. I’m excited to introduce Richard Miller, the developer of Goldie May. This new app helps you keep a research log and offers research assistance. We asked Richard to tell us how his app can help us Research Like a Pro. Here’s his guest blog post. Enjoy! -Nicole p.s. I’m updating this to add that right now, Goldie May only offers research guidance for U.S. research. Richard plans to add more countries soon. Goldie May is a new...
