Ask me why I flew 5,000 miles to get a library card? The Library of Virginia just added a whole slew of new online databases for patrons to research digitally via their website, the only catch: you MUST have a LIBRARY CARD to be able to access them! This was exciting news for me as […]
New Online Databases Added to the Library of Virginia Read the full story →
Here are 5 genealogy research mistakes (common greenhorn goofs) that you should avoid at all costs. These are rookie errors that less-than-careless novice genealogists often make, they are logical traps that are easily avoided by simple persistence and brain power! As you know genealogy is much more than NAMES and DATES, it’s why the term
Top 5 Genealogy Research Mistakes to Avoid – Greenhorn Goofs! Read the full story →
Is it possible that siblings can have different test results for their ethnicity? Why of course it is! In fact, it is normal for multiple siblings NOT to share the exact same percentage of each representative ethnic part that makes up their genetic whole. It’s about varying part to whole ratios. It’s also the nature
Autosomal DNA Explained: Why 2 Siblings Have Different Test Results Read the full story →
What are “Supplemental Census Questions?” Did you know that the one major thing that changed between the US Census of 1930 and 1940 was the elimination of the ‘NATIVITY OF PARENTS’ section for all respondents? For genealogists this is a huge blow and creates a dearth of data for researchers to work with in this
How To Find Supplemental Census Questions (1940 Census) Read the full story →
I took the Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) “My Origins” Family Finder DNA test in 2016, I also did their Y-DNA test way back in 2011. After having had time to consider my results, study the ever-changing science of genetics, and learn more about each of the DNA testing companies in depth, here’s my review of
Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) Family Finder “My Origins” Review Read the full story →
Your Ancestry search engine has a problem! It’s not so much that Ancestry is becoming a lackluster research platform, it’s just that we’ve become so finicky! Genealogical research has advanced so far in the last 5 years alone that what once seemed like alchemy is now commonplace and ill-adjusted to current market demands in terms
1 Ancestry Search Engine Problem That Needs Mapping Read the full story →
In 2018, Find A Grave launched a massive redesign, and—let’s be honest—it was a disaster. If you scroll down to the bottom of this post, you will see over 100 comments from the Family History Foundation community venting about broken links, missing photos, and an interface that seemed designed to hide our ancestors rather than
How do you compare DNA testing companies? Which DNA test is the best? Well, size does matter when comparing DNA testing companies and here’s why: it’s all about their DATABASES which includes factors such as number of USERS, FAMILY TREES, and most importantly the size of their REFERENCE POPULATIONS. Reference Populations As Sample Sizes When
Size Does Matter When Comparing DNA Testing Companies Read the full story →
Staying organized in genealogy can be quite difficult, Genealogy Research Redundancy is something you need to get to know! Here’s a major tip! Organization is often the simple act of keeping multiple records of known ancestors; however, it is also involves something super counter-intuitive – that is, in tracking families that AREN’T YOURS believe it
Genealogy Research Redundancy – Tips To Organize Genealogy! Read the full story →
Believe it or not social networks have been around forever, it’s just that in this day and age they are able to bridge time and space. While Ancestry and other research platforms can instantly connect you to billions of records, the information that YOU are specifically looking for represents only a fraction of a percent
The Power of Social Networks In Modern Genealogy Read the full story →
For US-based genealogists Ancestry has been its own ‘brick wall’ when it comes to finding ones European roots because trends would indicate that Ancestry might be losing its market share to sites like MyHeritage and Geni. Even though Ancestry has a World Explorer Plus membership option, their record base is primarily US historical with approximately
Is Ancestry Losing Its Market Share To MyHeritage and Geni? Read the full story →
