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1:11:59
1.2K views
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Dear Me: Writing Research Reports to Yourself
Research reports are not just for professionals, but are a great tool for anyone who wants to answer their research questions. Write a research report to yourself to organize your thoughts, analyze the evidence, document your findings, and solve your puzzles. Using an example from the Netherlands, this presentation demonstrates how you can organize a research report to spot more clues in records, discover and resolve discrepancies, and build reliable conclusions.
Research reports are not just for professionals, but are a great tool for anyone who wants to answer their research questions. Write a research report to yourself to organize your thoughts, analyze the evidence, document your findings, and solve your puzzles. Using an example from the Netherlands, this presentation demonstrates how you can organize a research report to spot more clues in records, discover and resolve discrepancies, and build reliable conclusions.
Tue, November 19 2024: 19:00 UTC
1:13:06
1.0K views
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Sense and Sensibility: The Power of Logic, Intuition, and Critical Thinking
Is it logical that a woman born in 1752 gave birth to a son in 1848? Do I have enough evidence to conclude that Johan Kannon of Trondheim, Norway, was the same person as John Connell from Cut-and-Shoot, Texas? Why do I share 300 cM of DNA with three people I’ve never heard of? Genealogists make hundreds of decisions everyday based on thousands of pieces of information harvested from various sources. We automatically, and often unconsciously, use common sense, logic, and even intuition, to identify relevant evidence, problem-solve, and answer complex questions. Learning to harness the power of logic, syllogism, and our own “Spidey-senses,” can help scale brick-walls, solve DNA mysteries, and organize mountains of information. This talk focuses on how to incorporate logic, common sense, and critical thinking in a more deliberate way to create hypotheses, test theories, and support conclusions. Johnson will share exercises that can bulk up logic and critical thought muscles, as well as practical tips on how to apply common sense and sensibility to your family history research and writing.
Is it logical that a woman born in 1752 gave birth to a son in 1848? Do I have enough evidence to conclude that Johan Kannon of Trondheim, Norway, was the same person as John Connell from Cut-and-Shoot, Texas? Why do I share 300 cM of DNA with three people I’ve never heard of? Genealogists make hundreds of decisions everyday based on thousands of pieces of information harvested from various sources. We automatically, and often unconsciously, use common sense, logic, and even intuition, to identify relevant evidence, problem-solve, and answer complex questions. Learning to harness the power of logic, syllogism, and our own “Spidey-senses,” can help scale brick-walls, solve DNA mysteries, and organize mountains of information. This talk focuses on how to incorporate logic, common sense, and critical thinking in a more deliberate way to create hypotheses, test theories, and support conclusions. Johnson will share exercises that can bulk up logic and critical thought muscles, as well as practical tips on how to apply common sense and sensibility to your family history research and writing.
Wed, October 16 2024: 0:00 UTC
1:11:40
A Myriad of Slave Databases
In the summer of 2023 American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society announced the collaborative 10 Million Names project, an undertaking to recover the names of people of African descent who were enslaved in the area of the United States. This monumental task of centralizing datasets about African Americans is likely to take years to accomplish; in the interim, this webinar provides a useful survey of the many existing databases that serve a similar purpose though limited in scope.
In the summer of 2023 American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society announced the collaborative 10 Million Names project, an undertaking to recover the names of people of African descent who were enslaved in the area of the United States. This monumental task of centralizing datasets about African Americans is likely to take years to accomplish; in the interim, this webinar provides a useful survey of the many existing databases that serve a similar purpose though limited in scope.
Wed, September 18 2024: 0:00 UTC
1:16:31
972 views
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He Had a Brother Who Disappeared: Finding John H. Hickey, Formerly of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois
Family tradition holds that John H. Hickey of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois, disappeared. This case study proves John “disappeared” and establishes the missing man’s fate. A patchwork of records allowed a glimpse into the life of a person thought dead.
Family tradition holds that John H. Hickey of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois, disappeared. This case study proves John “disappeared” and establishes the missing man’s fate. A patchwork of records allowed a glimpse into the life of a person thought dead.
Wed, August 21 2024: 0:00 UTC
1:06:01
Oral Genealogy in Asia-Pacific: The Essence of Personal Identity and Tribal Connections
Oral genealogies celebrate ancestral connections in indigenous cultures across Asia-Pacific. As one paramount chief in Samoa declared, “The most important thing for children to understand is their family connections. The knowledge of history is their treasure—not gold and silver, but genealogy.” Learn about the significance and richness of oral genealogies and current efforts to preserve them in Asia and the Pacific.
Oral genealogies celebrate ancestral connections in indigenous cultures across Asia-Pacific. As one paramount chief in Samoa declared, “The most important thing for children to understand is their family connections. The knowledge of history is their treasure—not gold and silver, but genealogy.” Learn about the significance and richness of oral genealogies and current efforts to preserve them in Asia and the Pacific.
Wed, July 17 2024: 0:00 UTC
1:24:18
Editing Your Own Work – Part 2
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will address the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will address the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
Wed, June 19 2024: 0:00 UTC
1:27:11
Editing Your Own Work – Part 1
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will addresses the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will addresses the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
Wed, May 22 2024: 0:00 UTC
1:13:08
626 views
CC
French Emigrants: They Were Not All Huguenots, or Nobles, or from Alsace-Lorraine
One of the great difficulties for people researching their French immigrant ancestors’ roots is that so little is known outside of France about when and why the French left their country. This dearth of knowledge has led many family historians of the 19th century to presume Huguenot, noble émigré or Alsace-Lorraine ancestry for any ancestor with a French name. The supposition became a family legend that then became a research frustration as more recent family historians attempt to prove what was never more than a misguided supposition. This webinar looks at the many waves of French migration, as well as the three mentioned in the title, from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The historical reasons for when, why and to where they emigrated will provide the key points to bear in mind when conducting research. The bibliography, in English and French, contains not only books and articles concerning French emigration but a list of websites to aid the researcher.
One of the great difficulties for people researching their French immigrant ancestors’ roots is that so little is known outside of France about when and why the French left their country. This dearth of knowledge has led many family historians of the 19th century to presume Huguenot, noble émigré or Alsace-Lorraine ancestry for any ancestor with a French name. The supposition became a family legend that then became a research frustration as more recent family historians attempt to prove what was never more than a misguided supposition. This webinar looks at the many waves of French migration, as well as the three mentioned in the title, from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The historical reasons for when, why and to where they emigrated will provide the key points to bear in mind when conducting research. The bibliography, in English and French, contains not only books and articles concerning French emigration but a list of websites to aid the researcher.
Tue, April 16 2024: 16:00 UTC
1:11:43
766 views
CC
Maternal Threads Unwoven: Identifying Margareta’s Mother in 18th Century Sweden
In spite of birth entries for Margareta’s five siblings in Hishult, there was no record of her birth in the parish. Tax records quickly identified the father, and revealed multiple moves within a narrow span of time; however, identification of the mother remained elusive. No witnesses to births of the children provided clues; no household examinations existed. Coupling the understanding of broad context (naming patterns, inheritance laws, the calendar shift, etc.) with mtDNA and documentary evidence, the mother was identified and the lack of a records was explained.
In spite of birth entries for Margareta’s five siblings in Hishult, there was no record of her birth in the parish. Tax records quickly identified the father, and revealed multiple moves within a narrow span of time; however, identification of the mother remained elusive. No witnesses to births of the children provided clues; no household examinations existed. Coupling the understanding of broad context (naming patterns, inheritance laws, the calendar shift, etc.) with mtDNA and documentary evidence, the mother was identified and the lack of a records was explained.
Wed, March 20 2024: 0:00 UTC
1:22:32
1.5K views
CC
Metes & Bounds Land Plats Solve Genealogical Problems
This session provides a brief overview of metes and bounds land descriptions seen in deeds, mortgages, patents, grants, and other land documents. The land descriptions are an essential part of land research. This presentation discusses metes and bounds land descriptions and how the metes and bounds can solve genealogical problems.
This session provides a brief overview of metes and bounds land descriptions seen in deeds, mortgages, patents, grants, and other land documents. The land descriptions are an essential part of land research. This presentation discusses metes and bounds land descriptions and how the metes and bounds can solve genealogical problems.
Wed, February 21 2024: 1:00 UTC
1:15:14
2.1K views
CC
The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS): A Review
How do you know when you have genealogical proof? You apply the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) to your completed research. The GPS is how genealogists test conclusions–whether it is your research or other people’s research. Recognize why meeting the GPS is essential and when it is appropriate. Learn about the five interdependent components of the GPS. Understanding the GPS and being able to apply it will hone your research skills.
How do you know when you have genealogical proof? You apply the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) to your completed research. The GPS is how genealogists test conclusions–whether it is your research or other people’s research. Recognize why meeting the GPS is essential and when it is appropriate. Learn about the five interdependent components of the GPS. Understanding the GPS and being able to apply it will hone your research skills.
Wed, January 17 2024: 1:00 UTC
1:09:14
1.0K views
CC
Finding Sophia’s Family: A Case of Fratricide and Forgotten Identity
A quarrel between brothers turns into tragedy. The murdered man’s young widow and children leave their rural home for city life, never returning. Former family connections are forgotten in time. This webinar illustrates the case of finding the birth family of a mid-nineteenth-century South Carolina widow who left her family’s homeplace. No record provides an exact birthplace or fully identifies her parents. Learn how widow Sophia’s forgotten identity was reconstructed by understanding the era’s social context, creating and testing hypotheses, and conducting whole family research.
A quarrel between brothers turns into tragedy. The murdered man’s young widow and children leave their rural home for city life, never returning. Former family connections are forgotten in time. This webinar illustrates the case of finding the birth family of a mid-nineteenth-century South Carolina widow who left her family’s homeplace. No record provides an exact birthplace or fully identifies her parents. Learn how widow Sophia’s forgotten identity was reconstructed by understanding the era’s social context, creating and testing hypotheses, and conducting whole family research.
Wed, December 20 2023: 1:00 UTC

Upcoming Live Webinars

View all (13)
1:21:39
Information Overload? Effective Project Planning, Research, Data Management & Analysis
Data management is not just an organizing system. Data management is a critical analytical tool. Research standards tell us that conclusions must be supported by “proof.” Standards insist that “proof” is more than “a document”—rather, it’s a conclusion based on a body of evidence created by reasonably exhaustive research. Meeting this standard creates a paradox: The more data we gather, the more confused we get!—unless we maintain that body of evidence in a way that enables us to digest it, analyze it, and correlate it with everything else we’ve found. This session presents a framework for projects of all types and sizes, building on sound research practices that carry us smoothly from problem analysis to problem resolution.
Data management is not just an organizing system. Data management is a critical analytical tool. Research standards tell us that conclusions must be supported by “proof.” Standards insist that “proof” is more than “a document”—rather, it’s a conclusion based on a body of evidence created by reasonably exhaustive research. Meeting this standard creates a paradox: The more data we gather, the more confused we get!—unless we maintain that body of evidence in a way that enables us to digest it, analyze it, and correlate it with everything else we’ve found. This session presents a framework for projects of all types and sizes, building on sound research practices that carry us smoothly from problem analysis to problem resolution.
Fri, November 22 2024: 19:00 UTC
Wed, December 18 2024: 1:00 UTC
Lost and Found: Locating Ancestral Origins with FAN Club and DNA
Wed, December 18 2024: 1:00 UTC
It’s hard to do genealogy well without studying your ancestors’ Friends & Family, Associates, and Neighbors – their FAN club. If your ancestors are Irish, you might have no luck at all without those FAN principles. But if you combine FAN club research with DNA, you might have just the winning ticket to get you back to your Irish ancestor’s origins. In this case study presentation, learn how focused research pointed the way from Ohio to townlands in County Mayo for an 1850s-era Irish immigrant.
It’s hard to do genealogy well without studying your ancestors’ Friends & Family, Associates, and Neighbors – their FAN club. If your ancestors are Irish, you might have no luck at all without those FAN principles. But if you combine FAN club research with DNA, you might have just the winning ticket to get you back to your Irish ancestor’s origins. In this case study presentation, learn how focused research pointed the way from Ohio to townlands in County Mayo for an 1850s-era Irish immigrant.
Wed, December 18 2024: 1:00 UTC
Wed, December 4 2024: 1:00 UTC
Finding Your British WWI Soldier – Dead or Alive
Wed, December 4 2024: 1:00 UTC
New record images create the most complete set of records to identify the over 5.5 million soldiers served in the British Army during World War I. This is a large topic, but research has gotten easier during the last couple of years as original resources and indexes have become available online, and new finding aids have been created. This lecture examines what records were destroyed during WWII, what records survived along with how to use the new indexes, online originals and how to interpret them. Plus put the soldier’s actions into battle context.
New record images create the most complete set of records to identify the over 5.5 million soldiers served in the British Army during World War I. This is a large topic, but research has gotten easier during the last couple of years as original resources and indexes have become available online, and new finding aids have been created. This lecture examines what records were destroyed during WWII, what records survived along with how to use the new indexes, online originals and how to interpret them. Plus put the soldier’s actions into battle context.
Wed, December 4 2024: 1:00 UTC
Wed, December 4 2024: 19:00 UTC
DNA Case Study: Reconstructing A Family Tree Using DNA
Wed, December 4 2024: 19:00 UTC
This special case study will walk you through how to solve multiple unknown father mysteries within the same family tree. Where can you turn when both of your maternal and paternal grandfathers are unknown and both of your grandmothers’ fathers are also unknown? It may seem far-fetched but this was the genuine situation my client was faced with – two mystery grandfathers and two mystery great grandfathers on the same tree! There were mysteries on top of mysteries in this amazing case with six out of eight great grandparents unknown and at least four mystery fathers to identify. This webinar will tell the story of how this tiny tree was reconstructed using a combination of DNA results analysis and traditional research methods.
This special case study will walk you through how to solve multiple unknown father mysteries within the same family tree. Where can you turn when both of your maternal and paternal grandfathers are unknown and both of your grandmothers’ fathers are also unknown? It may seem far-fetched but this was the genuine situation my client was faced with – two mystery grandfathers and two mystery great grandfathers on the same tree! There were mysteries on top of mysteries in this amazing case with six out of eight great grandparents unknown and at least four mystery fathers to identify. This webinar will tell the story of how this tiny tree was reconstructed using a combination of DNA results analysis and traditional research methods.
Wed, December 4 2024: 19:00 UTC
Fri, December 6 2024: 19:00 UTC
The Trifecta: Giving Light to the Lives of the Formerly Enslaved
Fri, December 6 2024: 19:00 UTC
Take a deep dive through case studies to learn how Civil War Pensions, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and Probates/Successions come together to reveal the pre-emancipation, post emancipation, and 20th Century lives of the formerly enslaved and their families.
Take a deep dive through case studies to learn how Civil War Pensions, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and Probates/Successions come together to reveal the pre-emancipation, post emancipation, and 20th Century lives of the formerly enslaved and their families.
Fri, December 6 2024: 19:00 UTC
Tue, December 10 2024: 19:00 UTC
Leveraging MyHeritage DNA Tools to Make New Discoveries
Tue, December 10 2024: 19:00 UTC
Your DNA Match list is full of incredible discoveries waiting to be made…with the right tools and a little know-how. MyHeritage offers the most comprehensive set of DNA tools on the market, making it ideal for genetic genealogy. In this session, Ran Snir, VP Product at MyHeritage, will give you an overview of the DNA tools available on MyHeritage and show you how you can use them to make breakthroughs in your research.
Your DNA Match list is full of incredible discoveries waiting to be made…with the right tools and a little know-how. MyHeritage offers the most comprehensive set of DNA tools on the market, making it ideal for genetic genealogy. In this session, Ran Snir, VP Product at MyHeritage, will give you an overview of the DNA tools available on MyHeritage and show you how you can use them to make breakthroughs in your research.
Tue, December 10 2024: 19:00 UTC
Thu, December 12 2024: 1:00 UTC
Researching in 17th Century Connecticut
Thu, December 12 2024: 1:00 UTC
While many 17th-century Connecticut colonists have been researched and written about, there remain research challenges: distinguishing people with the same name, deciphering hard-to-read handwriting, understanding unique record sets, and more. This class examines the beginnings of Connecticut, New Haven, and Saybrook Colonies and the people who inhabited the lands prior to colonization. The class reviews published genealogical resources and record transcriptions and then presents strategies to locate and utilize primary sources. The webinar concludes with tips on overcoming common research challenges.
Ann Lawthers
While many 17th-century Connecticut colonists have been researched and written about, there remain research challenges: distinguishing people with the same name, deciphering hard-to-read handwriting, understanding unique record sets, and more. This class examines the beginnings of Connecticut, New Haven, and Saybrook Colonies and the people who inhabited the lands prior to colonization. The class reviews published genealogical resources and record transcriptions and then presents strategies to locate and utilize primary sources. The webinar concludes with tips on overcoming common research challenges.
Thu, December 12 2024: 1:00 UTC
Thu, December 12 2024: 12:00 UTC
French
La généalogie et les enfants : comment intéresser les jeunes générations à leur histoire familiale
Thu, December 12 2024: 12:00 UTC
Qu’adviendra-t-il de votre généalogie lorsque vous passerez du statut de généalogiste de la famille à celui d’ancêtre ? Les jeunes générations de votre famille aimeront-elles la généalogie comme vous ? Contribueront-elles à faire vivre vos histoires familiales ? Découvrez comment utiliser les fonctionnalités de MyHeritage pour impliquer vos enfants et petits-enfants.
Qu’adviendra-t-il de votre généalogie lorsque vous passerez du statut de généalogiste de la famille à celui d’ancêtre ? Les jeunes générations de votre famille aimeront-elles la généalogie comme vous ? Contribueront-elles à faire vivre vos histoires familiales ? Découvrez comment utiliser les fonctionnalités de MyHeritage pour impliquer vos enfants et petits-enfants.
Thu, December 12 2024: 12:00 UTC
Fri, December 13 2024: 19:00 UTC
Reflecting on AI in Genealogy: 2024’s Lessons and 2025’s Pathways
Fri, December 13 2024: 19:00 UTC
In this reflective session, we’ll look back at the pivotal lessons learned from integrating AI into genealogy throughout 2024. This webinar will delve into how AI has reshaped research practices, influenced data interpretation, and prompted new ethical and privacy considerations. We’ll analyze the successes and challenges faced over the year, extracting key insights that can inform future strategies. The discussion will also venture into anticipations and predictions for AI in genealogy in 2025, offering a forward-looking perspective on emerging trends and potential advancements. This webinar is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the year in AI genealogy, setting the stage for continued innovation and exploration in the field.
In this reflective session, we’ll look back at the pivotal lessons learned from integrating AI into genealogy throughout 2024. This webinar will delve into how AI has reshaped research practices, influenced data interpretation, and prompted new ethical and privacy considerations. We’ll analyze the successes and challenges faced over the year, extracting key insights that can inform future strategies. The discussion will also venture into anticipations and predictions for AI in genealogy in 2025, offering a forward-looking perspective on emerging trends and potential advancements. This webinar is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the year in AI genealogy, setting the stage for continued innovation and exploration in the field.
Fri, December 13 2024: 19:00 UTC