Generations Cafe

We have all made mistakes in our genealogy research. Over the years, host Amy Johnson Crow has found these 3 mistakes to be the most common and the most detrimental.

Amy will share what they are, how they can affect your research, and how you can fix them.

You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/52

Recently, host Amy Johnson Crow solved a genealogy problem that had plagued her for more than 20 years. In this episode, you'll not only learn how she solved it, but what lessons every genealogist can learn from the experience.

You can find the full show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/51

"Evaluate your sources" is good advice, but it doesn't go quite far enough. There are actually 4 different, but related, things that you need to consider as you're judging the accuracy of a record.

In this episode, you'll learn how sources, information, and evidence are different and what you need to look out for with each one. You'll also learn why looking at a record all by itself can lead to some wrong conclusions.

You can find the show notes for this episode at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/50.

It's easy to fall into a research rut, looking at just the same couple of favorite websites over and over. Here are 7 websites that will help you find more records so you can make more discoveries in your family history.

What's cool about all 7 of these websites is that they are absolutely free, yet they point to millions of resources that we can use.

You can find the show notes for this episode at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/49

Taking notes in our genealogy is an often-overlooked aspect of organizing. But taking good notes -- and taking them efficiently -- pays off in terms of analyzing your research and planning for future research.

In this episode, we'll explore why your genealogy software isn't the ideal way to keep your notes, what needs to be part of an efficient system, and review how Amy keeps her notes.

You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/48.

When you're doing genealogy research, it's natural to start searching for more records when you want to answer a question. But what if the answer you're looking for has been in your notes all along?

In this episode, you'll learn why you need to analyze what you already have (and why this is the second step in the WANDER research method). You'll also learn why analyzing is more than just re-reading your notes and how you can do this more effectively.

You can find the show notes for this episode at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/47.

Genealogy research is filled with distractions. There are so many things to explore! So how do we stay focused and avoid those rabbit holes that are oh so tempting?

Part of it is having a good research method to follow. In this episode, Amy shares how the first part of the WANDER method — What do you want to find? — is her best tip for focusing your research and staying on track.

You can find the show notes for this episode at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/46

Genealogy research brings many of us enjoyment, even comfort. So it can feel bewildering when we can't focus long enough to do it. This episode shows how you can still do family history activities even in this time of stress.

Instead of trying to force ourselves to spend our stay-at-home hours breaking down brick wall research problems, let's look at other things we can do -- things that are still meaningful and enjoyable, but don't require a ton of concentration.

You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/45

You've probably seen references to how the Corona virus and COVID-19 compare to the Spanish Flu. But what was life like for our ancestors during that scary time of 1918 and 1919? In this episode, Lori Lyn Price, a social historian who has studied life during the Spanish Flu, explains what our ancestors went through back then.

Note: if you typically listen to this podcast with children, you might want to listen to it without them first to make sure that it's appropriate for their age level.

Show notes with links to Lori Lyn's website as well as several other Spanish Flu resources are available at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/44.

Sales of genealogy DNA kits, such as AncestryDNA and 23andMe, has slowed dramatically. This is what's listed as the cause of layoffs at two major companies.

Why is this slowdown happening and what does it mean for the field? Can anything be done to correct the impact?

You can find the show notes for this episode at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/43