What you'll learn: Step-by-step strategies for structuring your searches to find what you're looking for faster How to drill down to specific records, time periods and topics using the card catalog Details on each of Ancestry.com's historical record collections, including what you can expect to find in them--and when you need to look elsewhere Tips for creating and managing your family tree on Ancestry.com, as well as connecting your tree to others on the site Timesaving tricks to maximize your Ancestry.com Hints (the "shaky leaf"), Tree Sync with Family Tree Maker, and the Ancestry.com mobile app Each chapter includes step-by-step examples with illustrations to show you exactly how to apply the techniques to your genealogy. Whether you've just begun dabbling in family history or you're a longtime Ancestry.com subscriber, this book will turn you into an Ancestry.com power user!

    Written by Blaine T. Bettinger, PhD, JD, and Debbie Parker Wayne, CG, CGL, the book provides family historians and genealogists who have just begun to explore genetic genealogy practical, easy to understand information that they can apply to their research. As Wayne notes in her blog, Deb’s "Delvings in Genealogy," “DNA can seem complex to many of us, but this book will guide you and help build your knowledge level one step at a time.” At their own pace, readers learn the basic concepts of genetic genealogy. They then build on that knowledge as they study the testing, analysis, and application of YDNA, X-DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and autosomal DNA (atDNA) to reach and support genealogical conclusions. Each chapter includes exercises with answer keys for hands-on practice. Blaine Bettinger is an intellectual property attorney in Syracuse, New York. The author of The Genetic Genealogist blog, he is a genealogy educator, a trustee of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, and organizer of the Shared cM Project, a crowdsourced project examining the associations between genetic data and genealogical relationships. Debbie Parker Wayne is a professional genealogist who has conducted research for individuals as well as for the PBS series “Finding Your Roots” with Henry Louis Gates Jr. and other television shows. She is an award-winning author, the coordinator for genetic genealogy institute courses, and the DNA Project Chair for the Texas State Genealogical Society.

    This easy-to-read guide clearly sets forth the elements of this standard, and how to apply it to resolve genealogical problems.

    This guide successfully tackles the process of organising family research, from filing piles of paper to streamlining the process as a whole.'

    Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques shows you, step by step, how to uncover elusive details by taking advantage of specialized tools and software programs and using proven best practices for breaking through the brick walls that have hindered your progress.You'll get professional advice on formulating a research strategy, understanding the details you discover, keeping careful track of your data, analyzing the evidence, and developing hypotheses. Real-world case studies demonstrate how you can apply the systematic procedures presented in this practical guide to your own research--and achieve success!Examine the brick wall in detail to find potential weak spots that can be exploited into a breakthroughUse brute force techniques that leave no stone unturnedObtain exact copies of original records rather than derivative sourcesResearch the family, associates, and neighbors (FANs) of your brick wall ancestorConsult with your family, friends, and colleagues to get a fresh perspective on your researchUse crowdsourcing--genealogy societies, online forums, social media, blogs, wikis, and podcastsApply technological solutions, including DNA testing and specialized genealogical softwareGet tips on hiring a professional genealogical researcher with the appropriate credentials and referencesRevisit your brick wall problem after honing your research skillsReview your evidence, develop a research strategy, and keep a meticulous research log

    The book guides genealogists in understanding various tests and determining what DNA segments came from which ancestor. The book explains how DNA testing helps when written records stop and discusses how testing proves or disprove oral family history. Learn which tests help adoptees; understand why you resemble your relatives and how testing can connect you with cousins you never knew. Discover how to encourage potential cousins to test and learn guidelines for becoming a project administrator, genetic genealogy speaker or facilitator for your genealogical society’s DNA interest group. A Genetic Genealogy Handbook: The Basics and Beyond helps experienced and fledgling researchers become genetic genealogists able to use DNA testing to resolve genealogical roadblocks."

    But where do you begin? With all that information, it can be impossible to know where to start! In The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy, 3rd Edition, genealogy expert Kimberly Powell guides you through the process of finding your ancestors, helping you: Effectively search various websites Decipher census data and other online records Choose the best way to share data with family members Connect with other genealogists through social media Packed with tips on using free databases, new websites, and a growing number of genealogy apps, The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy, 3rd Edition has everything you need to scour the Internet and find your ancestors, going back generations!

    It presents content in digestible chunks. Each chapter concludes with problems providing practice for proficiently applying the chapter’s concepts. Those problems, like examples throughout the book, use real records, real research, and real issues. Answers are at the back of the book along with a glossary of technical terms and an extensive resource list.

    Respected genealogist and author Marsha Hoffman Rising helps beginners break through these "brick walls" by breaking down each researcher's common problem into a chapter with straightforward solutions. Readers will: * Go straight to the answers they need without wading through theory or irrelevant records overviews * Find explanations and case studies easily understood by beginning genealogists, yet still useful for more experienced researchers * Learn what NOT to do in research to avoid hitting brick walls in the future The result is the best and most accessible book on the market about overcoming obstacles, from Family Tree magazine and Family Tree Books, the sources of genealogy's most popular publications!

    Can you imagine how they felt as they left their homes, what they left behind? Do you want to know? Would you know where to even start looking for the details? Author and genealogist John P. Colletta prepares you to undertake the search. He tells you not only what fundamental facts you need to know about your immigrant ancestor before beginning, but suggests where you may find that information as well.

    Done. Finished. Game over. Have you ever said to yourself, “That’s it! I’ve had it and it just isn’t worth it anymore!” Well, have you? Sort of like the character Howard Beale in the movie Network when he says, live on air, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” By the end of 2014, after more than 25 years of researching my own family history, that is how I felt. My Past Genealogy Research Frustrates Me! While many who read my post thought that I was leaving the genealogy community or closing down my genealogy business, I had to clarify what I meant by “leaving:” Starting in 2015, I planned on setting my 20+ years of genealogy research aside and starting over. From scratch. Seriously. How many times have you thought about doing the same thing? Did you start your research the same way I did, by just collecting names, grabbing stuff from other online trees, or pasting text into your genealogy software? Lately, has the prospect of going back and citing sources or proving facts and evidence brought you down and ruined your genealogy buzz? Do you throw up your hands and say, “I give up!” only to return to the same review and edit process days or weeks later? If you are like me, you need a genealogy makeover. Better yet, a Genealogy Do-Over. That is what I decided to call the journey upon which I embarked in early 2015. Now I want you to come along. Genealogy Do-Over: A New Journey of Genealogical Discovery Here is the short summary of The Genealogy Do-Over: I set aside everything* related to my genealogy research including notebooks, papers, and even digitized files and my genealogy database files and START OVER. I’m hitting the reset button. I’m allowing myself to have a do-over! (* certain items such as vital records ordered and paid for or research gathered on long-distance trips can be retained). Since I started my initial research, much has changed in the areas of genealogy research methodology and education. I now realize the need to collect facts and track them properly, including the use of source citations. I now understand the process of analyzing evidence and proving facts to reach a conclusion. In essence, I know a lot more about the “process” of genealogical research and I want to put it to use. This is not to say that I have not been following proven guidelines when it comes to finding family history. For my research clients (mostly pro bono), I actually employ all the methods advocated by many in the genealogy community. However, when it comes to my own research from years ago, I am not walking the walk . . . I have just been talking the talk. It is not always easy to “walk backwards” and review every bit of information gathered over the years. Instead, I wanted to do more than re-walk a trodden path: I wanted to head out from the same starting point and see where the journey took me. I knew I would have access to better tools, better knowledge and be better equipped for each twist and turn. Now, I encourage you to join me on this journey. The Genealogy Do-Over journey is constructed of 12 mileposts or journey markers that are laid out over one year. You can choose to pace yourself differently. You can even decide to drop some of the less important tasks and add your own. Do whatever it takes to ensure that you are on a firm footing to finding your ancestors.

    Each one has its own stories: the black sheep, the Civil War hero, the ancestors who fled to the United States, or the lost family fortune. No matter how plain you think your background is, chances are there is a saga just waiting to be discovered. The ground-breaking NBC series "Who Do You Think You Are?" takes seven of America's best-loved celebrities-from Lisa Kudrow to Susan Sarandon-on an emotional journey to trace their family history and discover who they really are. The revelations are sometimes shocking, sometimes heartbreaking, and always fascinating. With the "Who Do You Think You Are?" companion guide, you will learn how to chart your own journey into your past and discover the treasures hidden in your family tree. Featuring step-by-step instructions from one of America's top genealogical researchers, "Who Do You Think You Are?" covers everything a beginner needs to know to start digging into their roots, including: * Full-color profiles of the celebrities' surprising revelations * Starting the search-it's as easy as pulling out the old family photos * Census information-where to find it and how to use it * What birth, death, and marriage certificates have to tell us * How to track down immigration and military documents * The latest breakthroughs in DNA testing * The best online resources to conduct your searches, and store your newfound discoveries to share with family and save for future generations It has never been easier to bring your family history to life. You will be amazed at how much there is to discover!

    This edition also includes details of the Family History Centres of the Mormon Church, one of the world's richest genealogical archives.

    For family historians who want to do their own study, reliably, it describes the standards. For hobbyists, attorneys, and medical scientists who seek professional researchers, it's a consumer guide that defines quality and facilitates choices. For academics as they increasingly cross over into genealogy - as well as librarians who struggle to help a whole new class of patrons - it provides a bridge to the methods, sources, and minutiae of "history, up-close and personal." For established genealogical professionals, it offers benchmarks by which they can advance their skills and place their businesses on sounder footing. For all those who dream of turning a fascinating hobby into a successful career, Professional Genealogy details the preparation and the processes.

    Tight, square binding. Smooth covers. No previous owner's marks.