Our biases can adversely affect how we collect, analyze, and interpret our genealogical research. While confirmation bias may be the most frequently mentioned bias in genealogy, many more exist. Simply being aware of these biases and how they influence our research can minimize their harmful effects. In this blog post, I expand genealogy’s list of … Read more
I just returned from RootsTech 2026, and I have plenty of exciting news and several recommendations for online sessions to view. The industry’s largest conference was held March 5-7 in Salt Lake City. While the theme for this year’s conference was “Together” – to learn, share, and make family discoveries together – it will come … Read more
“Stepping into someone else’s shoes” is an idiom encouraging empathy to gain perspective for someone else’s lived experiences. Inspired by it, I recently applied this perspective to Ancestry’s new Custom Clusters tool obtaining incredible insights into a brick wall ancestor. You’re going to want to try this for yourself, too. In a previous post, I … Read more
Whether you’re using Ancestry’s new Custom Cluster tool or have simply identified an important DNA match, determining how a match fits into your family tree is why we review matches. Since the publication of my Chutes & Ladders blog post, I’ve received several requests to elaborate on the concept of DNA Laddering. I am pleased … Read more
Last month, Ancestry launched its long-awaited Custom Clusters feature as part of its Pro Tools product offering. In this post, I put it to the test to see if it’s worth the cost and assess how it can advance your genealogy research. With Custom Clusters, Ancestry Pro Tool subscribers can create clusters of DNA matches … Read more
I know this runs counter to our internal motivation for genealogy, but sometimes we need to pause our genealogical research. Taking a break from cognitively challenging tasks like correlating DNA evidence and documentary research gives our subconscious time to process the vast amount of detailed information and complex relationships between data points. As a marketing … Read more
Imagine finding a DNA match who has the surname you’re researching within their family tree, and their ancestor is a known descendant of your 5x great grandfather, who you have yet to identify. If only you knew this was the match you’ve been waiting for to break down that stubborn brick wall. Well, this is … Read more
Finding the right group of autosomal DNA matches is critical in moving your genealogy forward and breaking through stubborn brick walls. However, sometimes these important matches are not found within your match list but in the lists of other cousins who share the same ancestor. Search as you might, you can’t find a match that … Read more
If you’re of a certain age, you may remember Milton Bradley’s Chutes and Ladders game. Even if you don’t know it, its use as a metaphor to autosomal DNA research will not be lost on you. In this post, I demonstrate how to use Ancestry’s Enhanced Shared Matches to “ladder” back to an unknown ancestor. … Read more
I am honored to be a part of RootsTech 2025 with a presentation on Y-DNA testing strategies. Whether or not you have attended RootsTech, you can watch my prerecorded session on my YouTube channel, or the RootsTech 2025 website at no charge by logging into FamilySearch. There are also a great number of other online … Read more