Mother-and-daughter genealogy team Diana Elder (AG) and Nicole Dyer join Lisa to discuss the process of becoming a professional genealogist. Our DNA expert Diahan provides organizational strategies for DNA matches, and author Rick Crume gives us a closer look at the digitized newspapers available on GenealogyBank.

Ep. 140: August 2020

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In this episode:

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Tree Talk (1:33)

Lisa shares Family Tree Magazine fan Frances Sheldrick’s story of surprising genealogical discovery that led to new-found cousins.

Share your story of discovery and you may just hear it here on the Family Tree Magazine Podcast! Email your story to: FamilyTree@yankeepub.com

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Feature Interview: Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer of Family Locket (4:35)

If you are passionate about genealogy, it may have crossed your mind to go professional. One of the first things to consider is getting credentialed. Professional genealogists Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer discuss certification options and what you can expect from the process.

For more, see the article “Hanging Your Shingle” in the July / August 2020 issue of Family Tree Magazine, or view it below.

Genealogical certifications

• Accredited Genealogist credential (AG®) is offered by ICAPGen (testing-based). Approximately $300
• Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG): Certified Genealogist (CG) (portfolio-based). Approximately $375
• Council for the Advanced of Forensic Genealogy (FCG)  

How to Earn Professional Genealogy Credentials

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DNA Deconstructed: Organizing DNA Results and Matches (20:15)

When you take a DNA test you are hoping for answers, but often the results generate more questions. In this episode genetic genealogist and author Diahan Southard provides an answer to one of the most common questions: how do I organize test results from multiple companies?

Websites mentioned in this interview

• GEDmatch
• Genome Mate

Organizational tips from Diane

• Use your testing companies note feature.
• Formulate a good question first: “The best organization tool is a question.”
• Find your best matches that fit the question you want to answer.
• Start with a known match.

DNA Q&A: Organizing Your DNA Matches in 3 Steps

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Best Genealogy Websites: GenealogyBank (25:27)

Author Rick Crume gives us the scoop on getting the most from the digitized newspaper website GenealogyBank.

GenealogyBank Highlights

• One of the largest collections of digitized U.S. collections
• Newspapers date back to 1690
• Cover all 50 states
• 90% of their newspapers are exclusive to Genealogy Bank

Rick’s Best Practices

• Browse before you buy.
• Try searching a person’s name.
• Try first and middle initials with last name.
• If your ancestor has an unusual surname, try just searching the last name.
• Narrow and focus your search by dates, location, newspaper titles and keywords.

GenealogyBank Search Techniques to Find Your Ancestors

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Editor’s Desk with Andrew Koch (36:34)

Andrew Koch highlights important happenings in Family Tree Magazine and over at Family Tree University.

https://www.familytreemagazine.com/course/

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Your Host: Lisa Louise Cooke

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems Podcast in your favorite podcasting app or with the Genealogy Gems Podcast app in your app store, and visit her website for great research ideas, podcast episodes and videos.

Have fun climbing your family tree!