Genetic testing has taken the genealogical world by storm—but many good genealogists feel lost in that storm; and more than a few family trees have suffered damage. How do we harness the power of genetic genealogy without being swept away in the surge? This session guides genealogists through four areas: (1) converting DNA data into evidence; (2) turning that evidence into proof; (3) crafting citations that include all genetic details needed for proof; and (4) protecting privacy throughout the research and presentation of our conclusions. The session offers simple but solid ground rules—no geek speak!—illustrated by a variety of case studies.

Ever stared at your DNA match list and felt that mix of excitement and dread? There you are, faced with hundreds of genetic cousins, each one holding a piece of your story – but let’s be honest, most of us have no clue what to do with all these mysterious relatives. In this straight-to-the-point lecture, we’re going beyond the basics of building a DNA Network to tackle the real question that keeps genealogists up at night: “Now that I have all these matches, how do I actually use them?” We’ll show you how to transform that overwhelming list into a strategic research tool, navigate the sometimes-murky waters of relationship predictions, and harness practical tools like WATO and BanyanDNA to unlock the family secrets hidden in your genetic code. Fair warning: once you learn to read the stories in your DNA matches, your family tree will never look the same again.

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.

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.

Join us for an engaging presentation to unlock the true potential of your DNA match labels. Dive into the fascinating world of genetic genealogy and discover why the notes field is a vital tool offered by DNA testing sites, allowing for invaluable insights when exploring shared match lists and performing DNA match clustering. Don’t miss out on this enlightening session that will empower you to utilize the Notes field like a pro!

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.

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.

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.

We often go into DNA analysis with certain assumptions in mind. They can help us, lead us astray, or both!