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Master Essential Genealogy Skills for Consistent Progress
Make the Most of Your Genealogy Time!
Are you a passionate hobbyist genealogist struggling to make consistent progress on your family tree? If you’ve been frustrated by repeating research, unsure where to find new records, or tempted to take shortcuts that lead to dead ends, you're not alone.
This book is designed for you.
In Essential Skills for the Occasional Genealogist, you’ll discover a proven research process tailored specifically for modern genealogists who don't have hours to dedicate to family history every week. Whether you're interrupted by daily life or feel stuck with limited resources, this book will guide you through making steady, reliable progress—even with limited time. You'll learn how to streamline your research, leverage technology wisely, and avoid the pitfalls of rushed genealogy.
By the time you finish, you’ll feel confident and excited to continue your journey. You’ll know exactly how to identify new sources, avoid costly mistakes, and see your family tree grow, one well-researched branch at a time.
Master Essential Genealogy Skills for Consistent Progress
Make the Most of Your Genealogy Time!
A genealogy how-to guide book for beyond-beginner family historians.
Are you a passionate hobbyist genealogist struggling to make consistent progress on your family tree? If you’ve been frustrated by repeating research, unsure where to find new records, or tempted to take shortcuts that lead to dead ends, you're not alone.
This book is designed for you.
In Essential Skills for the Occasional Genealogist, you’ll discover a proven research process tailored specifically for modern genealogists who don't have hours to dedicate to family history every week. Whether you're interrupted by daily life or feel stuck with limited resources, this book will guide you through making steady, reliable progress—even with limited time. You'll learn how to streamline your research, leverage technology wisely, and avoid the pitfalls of rushed genealogy.
By the time you finish, you’ll feel confident and excited to continue your journey. You’ll know exactly how to identify new sources, avoid costly mistakes, and see your family tree grow, one well-researched branch at a time.
Meet the Author: A Genealogy Expert Who Understands Your Journey
With over 20 years as a professional genealogist and decades of personal research experience, I’ve walked in your shoes. Since beginning my genealogy journey in 1989, I’ve navigated every stage—from a brand-new hobbyist unsure where to start to a professional researcher working under ideal conditions. I know what it feels like to hit roadblocks, repeat the same research, and run short on time, but I’ve also learned what it takes to overcome those challenges.
As the creator of the blog The Occasional Genealogist (since 2016), I’ve dedicated years to helping time-strapped hobbyist genealogists make the most of their limited research hours. My experience comes from attending top genealogy conferences and institutes to tackling real-world research cases. Most importantly, I understand the frustrations and joys of genealogy, and I’ve developed a system that combines professional-level skills with practical shortcuts designed for those who don't have endless time to devote to research.
In Essential Skills for the Occasional Genealogist, I bring you practical, hands-on advice to improve your genealogy skills while weaving in the engaging story of two hobbyist genealogists. This unique approach helps you see how to apply the essential skills in your own journey, ensuring steady progress without getting overwhelmed.
Jennifer Patterson Dondero
What You'll Learn in Essential Skills for the Occasional Genealogist
Whether you're new to genealogy or have been building your family tree for years, Essential Skills for the Occasional Genealogist equips you with practical, time-saving strategies to make real progress, even with limited research time. This book is structured in three key sections designed to guide you from essential beginner skills to advanced techniques—making it a must-read for hobbyist genealogists.
Section 1: Essentials to Get You Started
Start building your genealogy skills with this foundational section designed for all genealogists, regardless of experience level. You’ll learn the basics of:
- The W-frame System for defining genealogy problems and knowing when to focus or step back.
- Tracking Your Research, covering the essential information every genealogist needs to log.
- Note-taking Techniques, providing a straightforward method to track and plan research without getting overwhelmed.
- The Genealogy Roll-up, a shortcut to combine research planning, note-taking, and tracking into a single task—perfect for genealogists with limited time.
By the end of this section, even beginner genealogists will be equipped with the skills to make significant progress and will be ready to dive deeper into advanced techniques.
Section 2: Essentials for Great (Not Just Good) Genealogy
This section takes you beyond the basics, focusing on skills that will transform your research:
- Genealogical Analysis: Learn how you’re already analyzing your research and how to improve this essential skill.
- Research Planning: Create simple, effective plans using the W-frame System, and dive into advanced techniques for supercharging your research.
- Writing Research Reports: Understand the difference between professional reporting and hobbyist reports, with guidance on how to document your findings for future reference.
Mastering these beyond-beginner skills will help you break through research roadblocks and achieve better results, even when your time is limited.
Section 3: A Few More Essential Skills
This flexible section can be read at any time and covers additional skills that are vital for any genealogist:
- Finding New Sources: Identify “low-hanging fruit” sources you can use immediately, and discover new ways to locate additional records.
- Task-Based Research: Understand the difference between genealogy “problems” and “tasks,” so you can apply the right skills to the right type of work without frustration.
By the end of the book, you'll be equipped to:
- Plan and track research efficiently.
- Take great notes that support future research.
- Create summaries and reports to track your progress.
- Differentiate between problem-solving research and simple tasks to streamline your workflow.
What readers say
"Your way of describing the 'hunt' for ancestors is not only easy to read, but entertaining and extremely useful! How I wish I'd had this book when I first started digging into my family's stories, maybe I would not have created so many "glitches" that now need to be cleaned up in order to proceed!"
-Constance
reader in the U.S.
"I really love this book. It tells an interesting story, especially about how to do Great Genealogy, despite the lack of time in our daily life. Step by step. From essentials to get started, to solutions. There are free digital bonusses too! I’m beyond a beginner and I found this book very pleasant to read. I’m sure this book will help me to super-charge my research."
-Johanna
reader in the Netherlands
"The book isn’t a typical how to book, but it does provide focus. As a person who has done my tree for many years I understand that sometimes it is important to know what you need to do, otherwise you end up down a rabbit hole. I recommend this book..."
-Maree
reader in Australia
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