I shared this news in recent online teaching and forgot to blog about it until I saw a reminder on Twitter tonight. JSTOR [Journal Storage] has scholarly articles from worldwide publications on topics including history, genealogy, ethnic studies, railroads, steamboats, immigration, burial customs. Civil War, citizenship, and many more topics. One of the beauties of most articles is in the footnotes or endnotes that lead to more information. A search by name, topic, and/or location will yield many hours of reading and research.
I love SUGGESTED hints from other trees and records on various genealogy websites where I have some basic family trees posted. My full tree with the documentation is on my own computer (and backed up) in RootsMagic. I still need to add more citations there. Some of the hints I get about possible matches, names, places, dates, etc. are great and many appear to be from outer space. I recently posted the following paragraph on my own Facebook wall and the number of people who agreed with me and some who made their own comments, show that it’s a large number of genealogists at all levels of experience agree with me and are likewise frustrated:
“34 trees on a website include one of my great grandfathers. I’m thinking the person whose tree says his daughter born in1867 had a child born in 1710 may need to evaluate that online tree and maybe check some records. Another lists his mother as living to 110 years of age. She died decades before that. Oh, and this mother is listed as having had a daughter born in 1821 in the U.S. while she was only 11 and still in Ireland. I could go on, but it’s making me sad to see these. Why can’t people see these obvious errors?????”
Don’t simply accept the hints, shaky leaves, matches, and other clues. Look for records to be sure it fits the family you are researching. Look at the approximate age of the mother when shown a possible relationship to a child. Stop and think about the hints that tell you the first child was born in Germany, the second in Missouri, the third in Italy, the fourth in Michigan, all while the parents show consistently on Wisconsin state and federal censuses. Perhaps we are dealing with a lot of people who just happen to have the same name. If the father died in a war, it’s not going to be his child that the mother gives birth to about five years later. The 9 months needed from conception to birth (or close to nine months) has always been the same. Do I use all these hints as clues for research? Absolutely. Well, most of them. I want to then find records to back up the information in the hint or to dispel the connection.
Many do not realize that these obvious errors can cause issues when others blindly follow what they have “compiled.” Think about these reasons. These erroneous trees complicate research into military repatriation cases, probate, land titles, Native American enrollment issues, adoption triad matters, and medical research. Our fellow genealogists do view other trees for clues in their own research and in research businesses.
The too often used phrase “it’s just for my family” should never be used again. I’ve written it before, shouldn’t your own family matter? What if your 10 year old grand niece uses those details from your tree in her fifth grade project. Do you want her to get a failing grade for not noticing the tree shows great great grandma is shown as five years old and giving birth to a child?
I spent the weekend updating some of my presentations and contracts for them. The next step was to update my calendar of when I will be doing those presentations. As of today, all my presentations are being given online through January 2021. That means you can join in on your computer, tablet, or even a phone (not ideal). I do provide a handout for each presentation. To view my updated calendar please see Paula’s Upcoming Presentations.
The presentation are done via the sponsoring organization’s Zoom, Google, or GoToWebinar platforms. Some require membership in the organization or a small fee. I can also put organizations in contact with a specialized tech person to supply the higher level Zoom platform and who will oversee the full webinar and handle all the techie parts.
I am available for additional presentations in 2020 and beyond. Check my titles and availability under the Speaking tab. Then contact me by email using the address on the website. I will then provide full information on my experience and fees. Once we agree to a date and topic, I will send my standard contract to the sponsoring organization.
Now that I have your attention, this is just to share that various DNA testing companies are having nice summer sales. Stock up on kits for more family members, for birthday or anniversary gifts, or to have ready for those new relative discoveries. Check each company’s website, social media sits, or do a general search for “DNA sale.”
Registration is online and opens on Saturday, 8 August 2020, at 10:00am MT. (9 PT, 11 CT, Noon ET).
It’s all virtual in January to keep everyone safe. Two other institutes were virtual this summer and were fantastic and fun. SLIG courses will run Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:00 pm MT; some will include homework and other support items outside those times. Why register? A variety of courses, all online, syllabus, homework, chatting with fellow students, access to instructors with considerable knowledge and experience, to name just some of the benefits. I am teaching in this course:
To see the full lineup of classes that Coordinator Annette Burke Lyttle has planned, click here.
To learn more about SLIG and to register, click here.
Today, August 3d, is the last day to sign up for a while for my course: Researching U.S. Government Records 101. Save $10 using code Paula10. This is a four session course that is released to you one week at a time. An extensive handout is in session 2. This course won’t be offered for a while so register today. at Research Write Connect Academy.
Registrants will be added to a private Facebook group for only students who are or have taken the course. You’ll get to see some of the neat things found by previous students. You are able to revisit each session if need be or stop viewing if you need to make dinner! Homework is suggested in each session and it’s for your benefit and doesn’t need to be turned in.
Received from MyHeritage: “We are pleased to announce that our search engine for historical records has been redesigned and improved. Searching our treasure trove of 12.5 billion historical records is now easier and more intuitive than ever before!
We are pleased to announce that our search engine for historical records has been redesigned and improved. Searching our treasure trove of 12.5 billion historical records is now easier and more intuitive than ever before!
We redesigned the search engine to improve the user experience. Our main goals in this initiative have been the following:
Provide faster performance to allow users to run more searches in less time
Allow users to edit the search while viewing the search results, and run it again, to make it easier for them to locate the records they need
Display more results on each page
Simplify the experience by unifying simple search and advanced search into one search form that is simple to use and powerful in capability
Additionally, our search engine will automatically suggest typical filters in global searches, and more relevant filters that will enable you to narrow down your searches within the current category or collection you are searching in. We’ve also added icons under the record name to clearly distinguish between a historical record and a family tree record. ?
I used it briefly tonight and it is a nice improvement!
Fellow genealogists have asked for it. Didn’t get into my virtual 4 session course “Researching U.S. Government Records 101” the last time? It’s being offered again. If you register no later than 3 August, you can save $10 by using code PAULA10. The lessons are released once a week after you register. There is suggested homework, of course! You can log back in at any time to view the lessons or review them.
You may also join us on a private Facebook page to share discoveries with other students and ask me questions. I love the interaction there. Discoveries made by previous students are still on that group page. I will invite you to that group with the email you use to register for the course. Some registrants may already be a Facebook friend of mine, and I will invite you directly after you register for the course.
From the course website: “Learn how to research the treasure trove of federal records of the U.S. government and mine the rich personal and other details they contain to compile a better picture of your ancestors and their families.”
Learn more about this and other Research Write Connect Academy courses and register here.
I have been teaching at genealogical institutes since the early 1990s. These have included in-person courses in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah. I have presented in-person seminars in many states. In recent years, I have been presenting online webinars. This summer has included being part of 2 week-long online institute courses via Zoom. Would I do it this way again? Sign me up!!
I taught four sessions and helped answer questions during the week in Cari Taplin’s Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh’s course Following Your Ancestors in Time and Place.
This past week the course I coordinate, Digging Deeper: Records, Tools, and Skills, took place online. I had a few reservations about the effectiveness of a few portions of the hands-on work. Those reservations are long gone. From day 1, it went well. The tech people, the GRIP directors, the other instructors, and the students rose to the occasion and went far beyond my dreams. When the course week ended yesterday, my adrenaline rush took several hours to come down. I enjoyed the week, the teaching, the interaction, and the way everyone worked together. I thought you might like to see the class photo that includes the instructors, one of the directors, and most of the students.
THANK YOU ALL!
p.s. Yes, my course will be offered again — see you next June. The list of courses for GRIP 2021 is already available here. I will also be teaching in Cari Taplin’s Great Lakes research course.
