Expert Series

Archives.com features new guest authors every two weeks. These authors write on a myriad of genealogy topics, and give advice and valuable tips to assist you with your family history research. Check out the most recent articles and the experts that have written them!

Find Answers, Work Together, and Write Your History: New Expert Series Articles

If you're looking for new ways to find out more about your family history - and who isn't?! - the recent Archives.com Expert Series articles are a great place to start. You'll learn about yearbooks, researching in Tennessee, working together, and other things that will help you discover your heritage. Let's take a closer look. Read More »

Diaries, Death, Pins and Provenance: New Expert Series Articles

In the last two weeks, the Archives.com Expert Series has had articles about diaries, death certificates, pins, and something called provenance. Let's take a closer look.

When is a diary not a diary? Diane L. Richard shows us a whole new way to think about finding intimate details about our ancestors. Read More »

Expert Series: Catholic Records, Reluctant Relatives, and Youth Workshops

The Archives' Expert Series authors don't stop writing when the school year draws to a close! They have been hard at work writing great articles to help you discover more of your family history. Recent articles include Catholic records, hard-to-interview relatives, and creating a genealogy workshop for youth. Let's take a look! Read More »

Organize Your Genealogy, Share a Family Tree, and More!

The Expert Series authors have been a busy group! Recently, they have had articles about organizing your genealogy research (including using a virtual assistant), creating and sharing unique family trees, using Federal tax records, and more! Let's take a look at their recent articles.

Need to get your genealogy notes organized? We have two articles that can help! First, Jennifer Holik shares tips and tricks with "Two Tools to Analyze Your Genealogy Data: OneNote and Blogs." Thomas MacEntee delves into the topic Read More »

Expert Series: Hiring a Pro, Organizing Stuff, and More!

Working on your family history often means collecting family memorabilia. Sometimes it means hiring someone to do a bit of research for you. The authors in the Expert Series have tips to help you in these situations! Let's take a look at these and other new articles, including remembering lost servicemen, using Google Earth, and colonial Maryland research.

Are you overwhelmed with family photographs, newspaper clippings, birth certificates, and other family papers? Laura Cosgrove Lorenzana understands. Her article "What Do I Do With All of This Stuff: The Process of Processing" will help you get started on road to organization. Read More »

Expert Series: Writing Your Life Story and More!

One of the intriguing things about family history is that there are always new things to explore. The authors in Archives' Expert Series are here to help! Let's explore their new articles about writing your own story, probate records, nobility, and archival collections.

In "Write Your Life Story," Sunny McClellan Morton reminds us that family historians shouldn't neglect the life story they know best: their own. Not sure where to start? That's alright. Her article is filled with tips on organizing your thoughts and resources for writing prompts. Read More »

Expert Tips: Learn How to Manage Your Time Effectively, and Much More!

The authors in Archives' Expert Series have been busy! The latest articles feature time management tips, family history interviews, writing your family's stories, and Indiana research. Take a look at these recent additions.

If you've ever said, "So many ancestors, so little time," Lisa Alzo's article "Fitting Genealogy Into Your Busy Life: Ten Tips To Maximize Your Research Time" will help you get more out of the time you spend on family history. (Did you know you can research in your sleep?) Read More »

Introduction To Slovak Genealogy

Expert Series author Lisa Alzo provides a great introduction to researching your Slovakian ancestry in "Getting Started With Slovak Genealogy". Alzo is a genealogist specializing in Eastern European research, and has written professionally on the topic for many years. In the latest Expert Series article, Alzo walks readers through how to begin Slovak genealogy research with a step-by-step approach. She has many helpful tips, one is: "be aware that the... Read More »

Busting 6 Myths About Jewish Genealogy

Author Schelly Talalay Dardashti discusses 6 common myths in Jewish genealogy research in the latest Expert Series article "The Myth: Truths Of Jewish Genealogy". The Expert Series is published once every two weeks, and tackles common issues family historians face in their research. Check back often to read the latest! Dardashti is a Jewish genealogy expert, and brings her considerable expertise to this article. She suggests practical solutions to break... Read More »

Begin Your Cemetery Research

Visiting a cemetery is a great way to enhance your genealogy research. It can also be extremely rewarding to pay a tribute to your deceased ancestor in person. New Expert Series author Andy Likins shows us the ins and outs of cemetery research, and how to get started in his article "Digging Into Cemetery Research". Andy discuses the rewards of cemetery visits and practical ways to go about finding your... Read More »

Planning A Research Trip 101

Expert Thomas MacEntee reveals some tips for planning and executing a productive genealogy research trip in the latest Expert Series article "A Trip To Bountiful Genealogy Research". He says, "For many of us, a genealogy road trip sounds like great fun. But you can't just hop into a car or on to a plane without first giving some thought as to the following items.." Learn what these are by reading... Read More »

Ancestors Involved In The Underground Railroad?

Learn more about your ancestors who may have participated in the Underground Railroad in the Expert Series article "Tracing Your Ancestors From The Underground Railroad." This article, by GotGenealogy's Lisa Lee, will reveal some history about the Underground Railroad and also suggest some practical ways to start your research. Did you ever, for example, consider browsing Search & Reward notices in old newspapers? You will now. Lee points out some... Read More »

Tips To Prevent Genealogy Data Loss

Expert Series author Thomas MacEntee knows data loss. In his most recent addition to the Expert Series "It's 10 PM - Do You Know Where Your Genealogy Data Is?" he reveals a personal story that demonstrates the importance of taking inventory and backing up genealogy data. "I can't even begin to describe the heart-break I experienced...Losing your genealogy research is nowhere near losing a loved one, but you can image... Read More »

O Pioneers! Homestead Records Revealed

Archives.com is proud to present a new Expert Series article, written by Roberta "Bobbi" King. The article entitled "Homestead Records: A Glimpse Into Your Ancestor's Past" is a must read. Roberta writes and speaks regularly about homestead records, and pours her considerable knowledge about the topic into this well written piece. Homestead records document the life of pioneers, who came west searching for the opportunity to cultivate their own land.... Read More »

Learn Tips To Identify Old Photos

The latest Expert Series article was just posted! Entitled "How To Identify A Photograph Without Looking At The Picture", and written by real-life CSI detective Colleen Fitzpatrick, the article is a must read for family historians and history buffs. Fitzpatrick uses her considerable knowledge to walk readers through many little-known ways to identify old photographs. Her methods are fascinating, and will help you shed new light on old photos in... Read More »

Plan Your Family Reunion

Make a family reunion the highlight of your summer by reading tips from expert author Maureen A. Taylor. In the new Expert Series article "Family Reunion Sense and Sensibility," Maureen gives insight on who to invite, how to delegate, picking a location, and more. She says, "As we've found out, a family reunion helps us maintain connections in spite of time and distance. They are fun, easy to plan and... Read More »

Pay It Forward: Become A Volunteer

In honor of National Volunteer Week (April 18-24), the latest Expert Series article entitled Volunteer Projects Help Family Historians provides an overview of several of the most prominent genealogy-focused volunteer projects. Author Sherri Bradley, National Coordinator of USGenWeb, provides essential details about USGenWeb, RAOGK, and FamilySearch Indexing (to name a few!), and suggests some ways that you can get involved to "pay it forward". It's true that most genealogists... Read More »

Expert Series Redesign!

Though the previous version wasn't shabby, our brilliant design team has one upped themselves by redesigning the Expert Series. The new format not only looks great, it also makes the Expert Series articles easy to find and conveniently categorizes them by subject matter. Both members and non-members can access the Expert Series anytime here. Recently published Expert Series articles are shown on the homepage, click any title to view the... Read More »

Discover Ancestors Though Diaries And Letters

I'm happy to announce the publication of a new Expert Series article.  To read it now, click here.  Author and Certified Genealogist Marjory Perez gives a heartfelt and informative overview of how to use diaries and letters in genealogical research.  She provides links to free resources, and titles of several "must reads".  Perez can relate to those who have few or no diaries and letters left behind by direct ancestors.  ... Read More »

Expert Census Advice

Have you ever looked for your ancestors in U.S. census records and been overwhelmed by misspellings and handwriting inconsistencies?  Go no further. Expert Series author Craig Rice shows you how to overcome these common concerns in the article Even a Beginner Can Search Census Records Like an Expert. Craig Rice has over forty years experience as a family historian, and 6 as a professional genealogist.  He provides readers not only... Read More »

Uncover Civil War Ancestors

New Expert Series article Researching Your Civil War Ancestors takes readers on an in-depth journey through Civil War era research.  Author Laura H. Congleton, uses her 20+ years of experience as a family historian to help you understand what you'll need to begin, where to go, and online resources that can help you along the way.  Researching Your Civil War Ancestors is a great read for those looking for elusive... Read More »

Must-Have Forms To Improve Your Organization

Expert Series author Carolyn Barkley puts her Library Sciences expertise to good use in the newly published article, Get Organized: Basic Forms For Beginning Genealogists.  Can you guess the four basic forms that she recommends every family historian use regularly? If you have no clue, you need to read this article! Carolyn's primary message is: don't be caught unprepared; organization is key to the success of your genealogical research.  I... Read More »

How To Bring Your Research To The 21st Century

Today we published a new Expert Series article by genealogy veteran James Tanner--who has over 25 years of family history research experience.  In the article, Advancing Your Genealogical Research Into The Digital Age he provides readers with many valuable pointers on how to conduct effective research using the latest tools and technology.If you've found yourself spending copious amounts of time copying notes by hand, or just don't know where to... Read More »

Expert Series Debut

We are very excited to announce the debut of our expert article series! The Expert Series features exclusive articles written by genealogy enthusiasts and professionals. These articles will give you helpful tips to advance your family history research. This month we've published ten full length articles, and we'll publish a new one every two weeks. In this edition we've featured: An Effective Oral History Interview with African Americans by Char... Read More »

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