Memorial Day is often described as the unofficial beginning of summer. Families gather, grills are lit, flags are placed, and many people enjoy a long weekend away from work. But at its heart, Memorial Day is not about a day …
Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. It writes emails, summarizes articles, answers questions, and even helps search old records. So naturally, genealogists are asking a fair question: Can AI help with family history research? The answer is yes. But only …
Ancestry ThruLines can be a useful tool for exploring DNA connections, but its effectiveness depends heavily on the underlying tree data. In my experience, ThruLines is most responsive when there is little or no established consensus—and least useful when incorrect …
In most cases, a professional genealogist is asked not for an opinion, but for a conclusion that can be proved to an accepted standard. This case was somewhat unusual in that the client specifically requested a professional opinion regarding the …
When we apply the laws in effect at the time historical records were created, we often gain new insight into earlier research—our own or that of others. I have researched David Bandy periodically over the past several years. As with …
This project began with a client’s question: Was Abner Bishop really the father of Allen Bishop of Decatur County, Georgia? The very first step was to review all the evidence already gathered on both Allen and Abner—census entries, tax digests, …
If you are a true researcher, then you have used FamilySearch.org (FS) but have you used ALL of the features there? Have you seen some of the new services they offer? Let’s take a look at these. Have you ever …
I had the honor Saturday to present this very topic in Albany, Georgia for the Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society and thought it a great topic for a blog for a few weeks. Many of these may seem extreme and totally …
I touched on this a bit last week when I mentioned the multiple Banner Thomases in Pierce, later Appling, County. There are many reasons we run into conflicting evidence and all too often people overlook or ignore them and simply …
We now come to the last standard although we have touched on it several times, we must take our research and make it available to others. Whether we publish it in a book or journal of some kind; simply put …
It can be easy to take other people’s research as correct because it makes sense and aligns with what we hope but have you thoroughly researched their findings with the thought that you want to disprove it. Sounds counterproductive I …
Many people will ask, “Do I really have to write a fully sourced citation to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) or other such standards?” Not to sound like Certified Genealogist and Lecturer Judy G. Russell but the answer to …
