Research Write Connect Blog

 [This article is by Diana Crisman Smith for Research Write Connect]

There is DEFINITELY more to vital events than dates! When I first started in genealogy (more than 50 years ago), I received a document with the names, relationships, and dates of birth and death for the descendants of my 2^nd great-grandparents on my paternal grandfather’s paternal side. I also had the opportunity to interview my paternal grandfather’s mother to get the same information on her descendants. WOW! What a start. Then I obtained similar information from my maternal grandparents on their parents’ families. By the time I was 12 I had the descendants of ALL my genetic and “bonus” great-grandparents.

However, there was not a single place included in the documents I was given and NO sources. The interviews were primarily names and relationships, with a few dates or places, but it was a starting place. All these years later, I’m still trying to prove a few of...

 We are having a Black Friday Bonanza Sale at Research Write Connect!

Whether you are a beginner who wants to explore family history, understand DNA testing and specific record sets, or an experienced researcher hoping to write your family history, or master using Scrivener writing software, then take advantage of our Black Friday Bonanza Sale and save 50% on all classes and 1:1 Coaching services at Research, Write, Connect through Monday, 30 November 2020!  (Note: Offer is not valid on past purchases).

Genealogy...

Are you overwhelmed with trying to locate information about  your ancestors on the major genealogy websites?  Unsure of which site is the best one to use for your research?

Then the new Research Write Connect online workshop, Finding Your Family History in the Genealogy Giants, taught by popular genealogy lecturer Sunny Jane Morton, will answer those questions and teach you how to maximize your use of four of the world’s leading genealogy websites: Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage. 

Who should take this class?

This workshop is designed for “advanced beginner” genealogists who have already learned basic skills like those taught in the Research Write Connect course, Beginning Genealogy: Starting Off Right. But it’s also perfect for experienced researchers who may have logged lots of years in libraries but aren’t so confident online.

Workshop design

This workshop is tightly focused on finding historical...

[This article is by Paula Stuart-Warren for Research Write Connect]

When I decided to join Research Write Connect Academy, I had some ideas for courses. Compiling the course Researching U.S. Government Records 101 was done first as I hoped that students would get as excited as I am about the fantastic information found in these records. Then I hoped they would delve into the various finding aids at the U.S National Archives (NARA) website. Oh, did they get excited and involved!

I’ve spent many years researching at the National Archives locations in Washington, DC, College Park, Maryland, and several of the regional locations. At any one of these locations, I could still spend many years delving into records.

I may be guilty of getting a whole lot of students itching to visit one of these locations. The course shows not only online material, but also some of the textual records that still remain at NARA. The details all these records hold are phenomenal. My reward for the work...

Happy Family History Month!

At Research Write Connect we are kicking off October's National Family History Month by offering a FREE PDF Download: "31 Days to Discover Your Family History"  that you can use to work on one genealogy/family history task each day this month.

This guide has one tip for each day of October to help you research your family tree, organize, preserve, and write family stories, and much more!

We will be featuring a few of our favorite tips throughout the month on this blog and our social media channels, so follow us there!

For example, for today, 1 October 2020, our first tip is:

Set the stage for Family History Month by listening to inspiring tunes, such as Neil Diamond’s “America”, "We are Family" by Sister Sledge, or “Lady Liberty” by Orleans. Creating a playlist of your favorite songs is a good way to stay motivated as you make progress on your family tree!

Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter to...

Applying the Genealogical Proof Standard in your research process is a must for every genealogist.

All levels of experience can benefit from a study of the Genealogical Proof Standard  (GPS).

Whether you are just beginning your genealogy journey or have traveled many miles up your tree, the GPS is a necessary tool to help ensure you are on the correct path to discover your ancestors.

You can learn how to use the GPS in a new course "The Genealogical Proof Standard: A Guide for Your Genealogy Journey" taught by professional genealogist Cheri Hudson Passey.

View the full course information page here.  

Expert instructor Cheri Passey offers a quick glimpse of what you will learn in this course at Research Write Connect.  Learn more about your instructor here.

In The Genealogical Proof Standard-A Guide for Your Genealogy Journey, the 5 Elements of the GPS will be discussed and put into practice. We will talk about what exactly is reasonably...

 Have you thought about writing your life story or sharing your life experiences with others?

Memoir is one of the most popular, yet controversial writing genres out there today. It’s a story only you can tell, and the good news is you don’t have to be a professional writer to do it.

Our new course "Crafting Your Memoir" will walk you step-by-step through the fun and exciting process of authoring your own life, and help you tap into your creative muse.

If you've ever thought about writing your life story, now is the time!

Sign up before 30 September 2020 and save 50% the regular price of $97.00, now just $48.50 with promo code MEMOIR50.

Click here to register now!

This self-paced course is taught by expert instructor, Lisa Alzo, a professional writer and writing coach.

About the Course

Each of us has a story to tell; a rich past to explore.  Don’t know where to begin? Think it is too difficult? No time?

This course...

[This article is by Diana Crisman Smith for Research Write Connect]

I must admit, I do love directories for genealogy. Not just city directories, but any kind of directory.

City directories are the best for some purposes, but there are so many other “cool” things available. Here are a few of my favorite things:

• Tracking a person (or family) through time.
• Finding interesting juxtapositions of time and place.
• Learning new facts - for example, residence or occupation.
• Gaining context.
• Picking up clues for further investigation.
• Finding addresses for property searches; or finding the exact location of a farmer from a rural directory.

So what do I mean? Here are just a few examples from my research.

In Des Moines, Iowa, city directory for the year I was born, I found that my grandparents showed 5 residents. Now, I remember that house well - adding the three of us to my grandparents, we barely fit in it for a weekend until I was in junior high and they added on to the...

[This article is written by Regina Negrycz for Research, Write, Connect]

Autosomal DNA has helped me to connect two Dalton families together when records do not exist.

The Daltons on my maternal side have lived in Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ireland for over 150 years. We can trace them back to William Dalton born circa 1810. Civil registration in Ireland for non-Roman Catholic marriages began in 1845 but registration of all marriages, deaths and births began in 1864. Parish records, depending upon the parish, began earlier. To date, we have not yet found William’s baptism and we do not know his parents’ names.

In August 2008 my mother and I visited Ireland and I introduced my mother to her second cousin, Bob Dalton, whom I had met in 1997. Bob is the 2nd great-grandson of William. Bob took the Y-DNA 37 marker test, which we upgraded in 2009 to the 67 marker test and became part of the Dalton Surname Family Tree DNA project.

In 2011, Bill (William F.) Dalton of the U.S....

Do you have a desire to research your family tree? Want to know from whom you descend and where?

Have you begun your tree but would like to build your research skills?

The desire to discover our ancestors continues to grow in popularity with the addition of online trees, genealogy TV shows, and the popularity of DNA tests.  How do we begin to create our family tree and know we are researching the right lines and adding the right people? How do we know where to look for the information we need and if it is correct? The process can be overwhelming.

Beginning Genealogy -Staring Off Right is a basic introduction to genealogy research.  View the full course information page here.  

Instructor Cheri Passey offers a quick review of what you will learn in this new course at Research Write Connect. Learn more about your instructor here.

The course is self-paced and will teach the basics of beginning your genealogy journey. During the four-part class, you will learn how...