Before beginning the study group, my research experience consisted mostly of autofill searches of FamilySearch and its partner sites to find and attach sources to ancestors on my family tree. I had been able to make a lot of progress and discoveries, but when faced with a brick wall, I was unsure how to proceed. This course has made all the difference! I have gained so many new skills and increased confidence that I CAN research like a pro!
As I go forward in my research there are several things I will make sure to do:
1 – Get organized! I don’t have an organization system set up, but I am excited to create a genealogy reference center in Evernote, create a naming protocol for my files, and be able to store things in a way that I will be able to easily find them when I need to. I will also make a better plan for backing up my research files!
2 – Always start with a clear objective! This was really helpful for keeping me on track instead of going off on tangents.
3 – Create a timeline and analyze my sources – I was amazed at how much this step helped in my research. I realized I already had some great clues that I didn’t know were there.
4 – Create locality guides for my most-researched localities – Learning about Northampton County, PA, its history, availability of records, etc. was so valuable in this project. I can’t imagine doing research without a locality guide anymore.
5 – Keep a research log complete with source citations – I knew I should be doing both, but had never really taken the time. I now see their value. I will continue to add to my source citation template so that citations will be quicker and easier.
6 – Write and share my research – I’m not sure that anyone will read what I have written, but I’m so excited about what I discovered that I want to make sure others have access to it too. This was one of the most difficult but also the most rewarding steps in the whole process for me. I hope that as I practice writing more, it will become easier.
7 – Diligently record my research in RootsMagic. It has felt so redundant to keep my RootsMagic files up to date as I have added ancestors to my FamilySearch Family Tree, but I can now see the value of doing so.
I have loved participating in this study group! I have learned so much–not only from Diana and Nicole but from all of the other participants as well. The feedback element of this study group is something I will really miss. Knowing that someone else would read my work and offer suggestions really pushed me to do my best work, and the suggestions were always very helpful. If you have the desire to become a better researcher, I highly recommend that you join the next Research Like a Pro Study Group!
