Returning to an unfinished family search? Here’s how I revisit old notes, read familiar records again, and choose a useful next step without starting over.
Category - Research Tips
What Happens When New Evidence Changes What I Thought I Knew?
New records can challenge a family connection you have trusted for years. Learn how I review conflicting evidence, correct the tree, and preserve the reasoning behind each change.
When Was the Last Time You Thanked Your Genealogy Librarian?
Genealogy librarians are often the unsung experts behind family-history discoveries. Learn meaningful, practical ways to thank the people who make your research possible.
11 Genealogy Research Tips to Use at Your Next Family Reunion
Your family reunion should be about communion with family as well as family history. Here are 11 ways to incorporate genealogy research into your reunion.
Questions To Ask Before Using The National Archives
The National Archives can be one of the best places to turn to when you are trying to take family history research beyond names, dates, and family stories. It holds federal records, which can place...
What I Accomplished Last Month in My Family History
Looking back on last month Last month was one of those good, steady months in family history when I didn’t uncover any huge surprises, but I still got a lot done. I didn’t add a long line of new...
The Right Way to Use AI in Genealogy Research
Artificial intelligence is showing up almost everywhere now, and genealogy is no exception. It is being used for transcriptions, translations, document summaries, handwriting recognition, search...
What MyHeritage Scribe AI Can Do for Your Genealogy Research
Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important part of genealogy, and one of the newest examples is MyHeritage’s Scribe AI. This tool is designed to help researchers work through old...
Congratulations, Your Genealogy Skills Are Growing
Most family historians spend a lot of time thinking about what they still have left to find. There is always another record to track down, another county to search, another family story to check, and...
The Sideways Search Method That Breaks Brick Walls
If your genealogy research feels stuck, the problem may not be missing records. It may be that you are asking the right questions in the wrong direction. Some of the most revealing information about...
Same Name Ancestors, Part 3: The Proof Case Method
Same name ancestors can fool even careful researchers because the records are close enough to look convincing. The county fits. The time period fits. The ages are close. The hints line up. It can...
Same-Name Ancestors, Part 2: Use Witnesses and Bondsmen
Same-name problems rarely get solved because you find one perfect record that settles everything. More often, the break comes when you stop staring at your ancestor’s name and start paying attention...
Same-Name Ancestors, Part 1: The Time Method
Same-name problems are one of the biggest sources of bad trees. You find a record for a name that fits the right county and the right time period, you attach it, and then hints do the rest. A spouse...
I’m Done Being Mad at Genealogy
I’m Done Being Mad I didn’t wake up calm.I woke up tired. Tired of being irritated at ink.Tired of being annoyed at paper.Tired of holding grudges against people who have been dead longer than...
The Power of “I Don’t Know”
Every family tree is built as much from absence as it is from presence. Names, dates, places, and relationships draw most of our attention, but they are not the whole structure. What often shapes a...