Methods and Techniques

Copyright Considerations for Genealogists

Blaine T. Bettinger, PhD, JD

As genealogists, intellectual property is one of our greatest assets. We write client reports, articles, blog posts, and so much more. Learn about how copyright and trademark law protects your intellectual property. And just as importantly, discover what you should do to avoid infringing on the rights of others!

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Digital Organization for Everyone: Ways to Conquer the Mess

Michael Cassara

As genealogists, we are constantly seeking better ways to organize our treasures. Make sense of your electronic chaos, and get organized, digitally!

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Expanding Research to Backtrack New Yorkers to New England

Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, FASG, FUGA, FNGS

Two case studies demonstrate how searching beyond the person of interest led to establishing the separate origins of two unrelated Revolutionary War veterans who settled in New York with no record of their parents or prior residence.

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Genealogical Proof for the Everyday Genealogist

Annette Burke Lyttle

How do you know if the facts you’ve uncovered are correct? How do you avoid attaching somebody else’s ancestors to your family tree? The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) is our guide to producing reliable research results. This introduction to the GPS will get your research moving in the right direction and help you avoid errors and frustration.

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Gravestone Conservation for Genealogists

Christopher White

Remember that gravestone that was so dirty that you could not read it or the one that was tipped over? What can you do? What should you do? Discover what that dirt is and the proper methods for conserving gravestones. Determine why a gravestone is in its present condition. Learn what to do and what not to do so that you help preserve gravestones for the next generation.

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Identifying the wife of Jacob Lasher of Germantown, Columbia Co., New York

Julie Miller, CG, CGL, FNGS

Using New York resources, this case study demonstrates how a carefully crafted proof argument challenged long-accepted published genealogies and online trees.

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Still in Print: Your Genealogical Bookshelf in 2020

D. Joshua Taylor

Is paper really on its way out? If 2020 has taught genealogists anything, it is that access to reference sources and other tools at home is still essential. Explore reference works and strategies for building your bookshelf (with an emphasis on those tracing New York families).

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The Article Isn’t About Your Family? You Should Read It Anyway!

Karen Mauer Jones, CG, FGBS, FUGA

Scholarly genealogical articles demonstrate the records, the strategies, and the thought processes necessary to perform successful research in any locality. Examples from The NYG&B Record illustrate how reading articles in scholarly journals will hone your research skills, even if none of those articles touch on your ancestral lines.

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Using Indirect and Negative Evidence to Prove Unrecorded Events

Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, FASG, FUGA, FNGS

Information hidden below the surface or totally absent helps researchers reconstruct events, identities, and relationships that no record specifies. Examples show how.

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