Revisit Old Research   White Goose Flying - Royalty free from pickpic.com Why Rake Up Old Research?  There are lots of reasons to revisit old research. Perhaps: New DNA match New record  Questions from connections Or maybe questions you ask yourself based on new education, more experience and newly-found connections. No matter the reason, I have found that revisiting is more useful than a "do over. " We all learn as we gain experience, both in methodology and as we deepen our understanding of our families and their stories, migrations, and the places where they lived.  DNA Tools Give a Reason for a Fresh Look Recently I asked my cousin to generate a DNA cluster report for my McBee uncle, because he is one generation closer to our ancestors than any of us cousins are. If you have never seen an autocluster, see one here:  https://education.myheritage.com/article/autoclusters-for-dna-matches/ . It is fun to see the report take shape, and the groups are very useful. I share DNA w

Have you been spoiled by good fortune? Consider Joining Our New Study Group! Courtesy andreas_fischler; Creative Commons 2.0 Sometimes it is really easy to find records on the big genealogy sites, the hints make sense, and we begin to think that research is easy. So easy, that we may forget what to do when the ripe fruit isn't hanging easily in reach. That's when a study group would come in handy ,  to remind us of basic principles of research. Or for beginners on the family history journey to learn those habits and practices from the very best, right at the start. Recent Example I had given up with Seth Willis of Harrison County, Missouri, an ancestor of one of my McBee uncle's DNA matches, until I thought about what to focus on for the new Research Study Group, beginning Wednesday, 14 August . Seth was born early enough that there are no records of parentage, and his probable father's obituary does not mention him. So I created a timeline of facts and sources to se

How to Get from Research to Proving Your Case   Making your proof argument a fun project! What do you do when you have finished a lot of research on one of your families? We all know what we're supposed to do -- write it up! Write It Up Devon Noel Lee from the Family History Fanatics in her series " Researching Over My Shoulder " has inspired me over the past couple of years to get better about this. When tackling a bit sticky family, I now generally start a new Google Sheet, and start roughing out a plan. As I work, I try to keep it updated with records found (and not found), other notes, and lately, adding citations as I go. Our Persons Of Interest group was an excellent impetus for that, because if you have written a detailed timeline for your person or family, it is much easier to have others look at your work and offer ideas and suggestions you have not yet considered. Of course not everything we write is a proof, but not every family is easy, and not every localit

BOOK REVIEW Millard, Candice.  Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President.    New York:  Anchor Books, A Division of Random House, Inc. 2012. Elizabeth Shown Mills reminds us that as genealogists we must understand the patterns of the time in which events took place. [1]   Patterns of History If you are studying ancestors in the period immediately following the Civil War, this non-fiction account of a little known event in American History may increase your understanding of the societal norms of the time.   Death of General James A. Garfield. Lithograph by Currier & Ives. From the Library of Congress President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881.   Ignoring Evidence This is a story of how one man’s stubborn refusal to let scientific medical evidence change a firmly held belief may have changed the outcome of the assassination attempt.   Rebound from Tragedy The event unified the country which was still divided aft

  Find the Needed Evidence The first element of the Genealogical Proof Standard is reasonably exhaustive research. [1] I have been pondering this statement since I realized that genealogy is more than a hobby; it is a discipline.  The Genealogy Standards Manual does not provide much help.  It simply says, “emphasizing original records providing participants’ information—for all evidence that might answer a genealogist’s question about identity, relationship, event, or situation.” [2] The Glossary in the Standards Manual does provide more guidance: “. . .research thorough enough to meet five criteria: (a) yield at least two sources of independent information items agreeing directly or indirectly on a research question’s answer, (b) cover sources competent genealogists would examine to answer the same research question, (c) provide at least some primary information and direct, indirect, or negative evidence from at least one original record, (d) replace, where possible, rele

Citations save you time and money If quality of research is of no interest, at least taking excellent notes of Who, What, When and Where (or as Tom Jones puts, it, Where In and Where At) about each source will save you endless time and money by preventing multiple identical searches of the same databases, books and repositories. And you will save money when you order the exact record you need, rather then the wrong one, to say nothing of saved travel and time costs! Bonus : We all get interrupted at times. Having complete and orderly notes will help us get back to work with far less fuss.  Quality Don't we all want to do the best quality research possible in the time we have to devote to our family history? If so, developing the habit of documenting your research in a timely and orderly way will save time, money and bother, and more important, give you the tools to do good analysis of what you've found.   In her classic Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts