A structured research plan--whether in genealogy, history, or genohistory--guides and focuses your work. It connects your research to a specific question. And the notes you keep along the way become your defense of the answer you attach to the question.
FamilySearch volunteers have indexed 69+ million genealogical records so far in 2016 -- all from the convenience of home. It's easy to do your part.
This growing document offers a high-level look at the Golden Egg Genealogist assessment of the Big Three genealogical desktop software products: Family Tree Maker©, Legacy© Family Tree, and RootsMagic™. Follow the linked feature labels to posts about each analysis. The series was introduced with The genealogy desktop software dilemma: Family Tree Maker, Legacy, or RootsMagic? Feature FTM […]
Six steps to maximize the precious hours a genealogist has in an ancestral courthouse far from home, coming home with as much data as possible.
Zotero takes the pain out of a large amount of research source citation work by grabbing the metadata--instant citations with a click.
The old-fashioned research log had a purpose in its time. Computers improved it. Zotero replaced it. Hail and farewell to the research log.
You need to capture a single face out of that family reunion scan. Or perhaps you want to clip one newspaper article out of an entire page online. Maybe your clip needs to be an odd shape, or you want to draw a circle around one element. We find treasures online constantly and need to […]
Embed origin captions into your image files before loading them to public online trees. You caption will follow the photo, encouraging proper citation.
Some of you started long ago. I started six months ago. Perhaps some of you will start today. When it comes to the very difficult and incredibly rewarding challenge of documenting America’s enslaved populations, we who descend from slaveholders are the logical ones to do the work. It makes sense at so many levels. Welcome, […]
Record a macro to automate tasks in Microsoft Office products. Dramatically reduce the time it takes to do repetitive activities in your documents.
Embed origin captions into your image files before loading them to public online trees. You caption will follow the photo, encouraging proper citation.
The old-fashioned research log had a purpose in its time. Computers improved it. Zotero replaced it. Hail and farewell to the research log.
Six steps to maximize the precious hours a genealogist has in an ancestral courthouse far from home, coming home with as much data as possible.
On the Ancestry.com dashboard lies access to materials you'll never find with hint leaves. Enter the Ancestry Card Catalog through the side door.
The free Narrowing Dates Calculator aids in comparing multiple date ranges to zero in on your ancestor's vital event -- birthdate, marriage date, etc.
The name-poor early federal censuses become useful in comparison with each other. The Early Federal Census Worksheet makes that comparison easy and effective.
How well-documented is your desktop genealogical software? The DD Series examines online help for Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, and RootsMagic.
Make transcribing historical manuscripts easier and more valuable using a desktop tool you already have. PDF software can let you zoom in on the manuscript, while transcribing the text as comments. You have not only transcribed; you have made the document searchable without separating it from the scanned image. Why Transcribe? You’ve found your great-grandfather’s […]
Genealogy requires us to type names, places, and sources that require special characters. Windows Character Map offers a free tool to type these characters.
If you've exhausted online research in your genealogy, you have only scratched the surface. Treasures await in the probate court archives.
The next interviewee for my How They Do It series is Donna Cox Baker, the blogger behind The Golden Egg Genealogist and the co-founder of the Beyond Kin Project. Donna has a PhD in history and is editor-in-chief of Alabama Heritage magazine. Her first book, Views of the Future State: Afterlife Beliefs in the Deep […]
How do we do the essential tasks of speculative or experimental tree-climbing on Ancestry.com without leading others astray?
I have to admit I have been a slow adopter of Evernote. In 2013 and 2014 I posted here about how I wanted to give Evernote a(nother) try to help me organize certain aspects of my genealogy research. Well, it’s two years later and I’m happy to report that I am actually using Evernote to […]
In a photo with people, our eyes are drawn to the faces. But in some cases, the photo context around the faces can reveal much more.
The old-fashioned research log had a purpose in its time. Computers improved it. Zotero replaced it. Hail and farewell to the research log.
In a photo with people, our eyes are drawn to the faces. But in some cases, the photo context around the faces can reveal much more.
For non-professional genealogists who want to be as good as the pros -- start with the professional code of ethics.
In a photo with people, our eyes are drawn to the faces. But in some cases, the photo context around the faces can reveal much more.
Multiple "greats" grow unwieldy in speech and writing. What "great-great-great-grandmother" style does the field of genealogy prefer?
Thursday at IGHR, we learned to get smart about finding clues in newspapers. We examined the acquisition of lands and the federal, state, and local records that emerged. We explored wills, the intestate, and the path through probate — a path to some of genealogy’s most valuable gems. (This diary began at Sunday’s Orientation.) Thursday, June […]
Make transcribing historical manuscripts easier and more valuable using a desktop tool you already have. PDF software can let you zoom in on the manuscript, while transcribing the text as comments. You have not only transcribed; you have made the document searchable without separating it from the scanned image. Why Transcribe? You’ve found your great-grandfather’s […]
How well-documented is your desktop genealogical software? The DD Series examines online help for Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, and RootsMagic.
For optimal effectiveness in ancestry research, our desktop genealogy software needs to share data (“sync”) with our online family trees. So, how well do the “Big Three” software packages sync? In this next installment of the Desktop Dilemma Series, we continue our side-by-side analysis of the Big Three — Family Tree Maker®, Legacy Family Tree®, and […]
Our ancestors' stories will never be complete until we know the siblings they cared about. The childless siblings in your family tree are vital.
Explore StudioRedChile's 178 photos on Flickr!
Explore Diane Duane's 1322 photos on Flickr!
On the Ancestry.com dashboard lies access to materials you'll never find with hint leaves. Enter the Ancestry Card Catalog through the side door.
On the Ancestry.com dashboard lies access to materials you'll never find with hint leaves. Enter the Ancestry Card Catalog through the side door.
