Tag: beginners

Maintenance, Sources and resources

AI Can Help You Use Family History Software

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Family history software is a powerful tool, but it can be confusing, especially when you are just starting out. There are a lot of features to learn. When something goes wrong, it is not always easy to figure out why, or how to fix it.

Most software includes a built-in Help system. Many programs also have online support pages, community forums, and printed manuals. These are useful resources, but finding the right answer can take time. You may need to read several articles before things make sense.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools offer a faster, more personal way to get help. Instead of sifting through pages of documentation, you can simply ask a question and get a direct, clear answer.

What Can AI Do for You?

AI tools can do far more than answer basic questions. Here is what they can help with:

  • Explain software features in plain language, tailored to your level of experience.
  • Provide step-by-step instructions for specific tasks.
  • Explain error messages: what caused the problem, how to fix it, and how to avoid it next time.
  • Suggest troubleshooting steps when something is not working as expected.
  • Combine information from multiple help articles into one clear answer.
  • Fill in the “why” behind instructions, not just the “how.”
  • Help you understand when and why to use specific features, reports, and tools.
  • Convert a PDF report exported from your software into a structured spreadsheet.

One of the biggest advantages of AI is that it is conversational. You can go back and forth, asking follow-up questions, sharing what you see on your screen, and refining your question until you get the answer you need.

What AI Cannot Do

It is important to understand the limits. AI tools cannot directly access your software or its built-in Help system. They work from publicly available information, which means they can draw on:

  • Help pages published on the software provider’s website.
  • Documents and manuals you upload directly to the AI tool.

This means your results will be better when you point the AI to the right resources, or provide them yourself. More on that below.

Also keep in mind that AI can make mistakes. Always review any instructions carefully before making changes to your data, especially when importing or editing records. And make sure that you back up your files regularly.

How to Ask AI for Help

Getting good results from AI comes down to asking good questions. Here are some tips:

  • Be specific. Name the software you are using and describe exactly what you are trying to do.
  • Describe what you see. Mention any error messages, unexpected behaviour, or screen details.
  • Provide the link to the relevant help page for your software. This gives the AI a reliable, accurate source to work from.
  • Upload files if needed. You can share a copy of your software manual, or a PDF report you want to work with.
  • Ask follow-up questions. If the answer is unclear, ask the AI to explain further or give an example.

Example Questions to Try

Below are examples written for Legacy Family Tree software. You can adapt these for whichever program you use. Notice that each question names the software and includes a link to the official help page.

How do I upload a GEDCOM file into Legacy Family Tree software, and does it need any fixing after doing so? Use the Help page on Legacy to answer the question and explain it for a beginner: https://legacyfamilytree.com/help/en/

How do I format place names in Legacy Family Tree software properly, and how do I fix existing ones that are not properly formatted? The help page on Legacy is: https://legacyfamilytree.com/help/en/

How do I delete events from Legacy Family Tree software without generating an error message saying it cannot have an empty line? The help page on Legacy is: https://legacyfamilytree.com/help/en/

These prompts follow a simple pattern: state the task, name the software, specify the audience if relevant, and provide the help page URL. This structure consistently produces better results.

ChatGPT’s response to my question about place name formatting incorporated Australian examples, as it knows that is a focus of my research from previous chats.

Using Your Software Manual with AI

Many software programs come with a downloadable manual. You can upload this directly to an AI tool and ask questions based on its contents. This approach works well because the AI has access to detailed, accurate documentation rather than relying on general web knowledge.

Most AI tools allow file uploads, though some have size limits. Check the tool’s settings or help page to confirm what file types and sizes are accepted.

Using NotebookLM for Ongoing Support

NotebookLM is a free AI tool from Google that is particularly well suited to this approach. You can create a dedicated notebook for your software, upload the manual once, and it will be there every time you return with a new question. You do not need to re-upload the file each session.

This makes NotebookLM a useful long-term resource, especially if you work with the same software regularly.

Converting Software Reports to Spreadsheets

Many family history programs let you export reports in CSV format, which can then be saved as an Excel file. However, I have found that this often results in formatting problems, with the text not placed neatly in appropriate columns. In the past, it used to take me some time to reformat the spreadsheet to my liking.

Now I just export the report as a PDF and ask AI to convert it into a properly structured spreadsheet. You do need to instruct the AI clearly about what you want in the spreadsheet, such as the columns. It also helps if you give it an example or an explanation of what goes into each column. This means creating a prompt and saving it somewhere for next time, so that you don’t have to go through the instruction process every time.

Here is an example prompt for how I convert a Potential Problems report from Legacy Family Tree software into an Excel spreadsheet, with an extra column that I can use to mark off as problems are resolved:

Convert the attached report to a spreadsheet format with five columns: ID, Name, Problem, Notes, and Resolved. In this report, each entry begins with a four-digit number followed by a name. Place the four-digit number in the ID column and the name in the Name column. The text in bold goes in the Problem column, and the remaining text of each entry goes in the Notes column. Leave the Resolved column blank. Start a new row for each four-digit number, with one row per problem.

You can adapt this prompt for other report types by describing the structure of your specific report.

Encourage AI to ask questions if your instructions are not clear enough. I used this response to revise my prompt for future requests to convert a PDF of the Potential Problems Report to a spreadsheet.
AI may even suggest improvements to your spreadsheet, if it understands what you want to use it for. Here is a suggestion I received from ChatGPT for the Potential Problems spreadsheet.

Which AI Tools to Use

Several AI tools are well suited to this kind of work. The most widely used options include ChatGPT (from OpenAI), Claude (from Anthropic), Gemini (from Google), and Copilot (from Microsoft). All of these can answer questions, interpret help articles, and process uploaded documents.

NotebookLM (also from Google) is particularly useful if you want to work with a specific document, such as a software manual, on an ongoing basis.

Most of these tools offer a free tier with sufficient capability for occasional use. Paid plans provide higher usage limits and access to more advanced features.

Try it out

Use AI to learn more of the features of your software and fix problems, to make your family history more accurate and more enjoyable. Try different tools with the same question and compare their answers, to see which one you prefer to work with.

About the Author

Danielle Lautrec is a genealogy educator, researcher, and author of The Good Genealogist. With qualifications in history, family history, and historical archaeology, she teaches for the Society of Australian Genealogists. Danielle convenes the Society’s Legacy Software Users Group and the Source Citations Group and is co-convenor of the Society’s DNA Research Groups.

For more articles on documenting your family history, go to the Document page.

Methodology

12 Easy Ways to Collaborate in Family History

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Family history research is more fun and rewarding when you share the experience with others.

Working with others brings real benefits to your research. You can share information, photographs, and research clues. You learn from others’ experience and avoid common pitfalls. You enjoy the social side of genealogy and celebrate successes together. And, importantly, you support groups and organisations that help all genealogists succeed.

Here are 12 easy ways to start collaborating in your family history research.

Connect with Family and Friends

Talk to relatives and ask them to share stories or documents. Start with a phone call or visit. Ask about family photographs, letters, or documents they might have. Even relatives who “don’t know much” often have valuable memories or items tucked away.

Share your findings with family. Create simple summaries, photo books, or family tree charts. These don’t need to be perfect or comprehensive. A single-page outline of what you’ve discovered can spark interest and encourage others to contribute.

Join Groups and Societies

Join a family history society and attend their events. Societies offer workshops, lectures, access to resources, and other services. You’ll meet experienced researchers who can offer guidance and support.

Volunteer to help at a society. Contributing your time helps the genealogy community while building your skills. You might help with collections, organise events, or work library rosters.

Join a special interest group. Look for groups focused on your specific research interests. These might centre on convicts, military history, or particular countries or regions. Specialised groups offer targeted expertise you won’t find elsewhere.

group of people working together at a desk

Share Your Research Online

Start a family history blog or website to share your stories. You don’t need to be a professional writer. Simple posts about your discoveries, research challenges, or family stories help others with similar research. Readers may reach out with information or helpful suggestions.

Join a Facebook group or other online genealogy community. Facebook hosts genealogy groups organised by location, surname, or research interest. These communities are generous with advice and often help solve research puzzles through crowdsourced knowledge.

Contribute to WikiTree. This collaborative family tree platform connects researchers working on the same family lines. You can add to existing profiles or create new ones. The community supports high quality research and social interaction.

Join FamilySearch and add to their free collaborative tree. FamilySearch’s Family Tree allows multiple users to contribute to the same profiles. This creates opportunities to connect with distant cousins and share research responsibilities.

Contribute to Projects

Take part in an indexing project. Indexing makes historical records searchable for all researchers. You can transcribe records from the comfort of your home. Each document you index helps thousands of family historians find their ancestors.

Example: Volunteers indexing at FamilySearch has helped millions of people with their research.

Help with transcription projects at your state, national library or archive. Many cultural institutions run volunteer transcription programs. These projects preserve historical documents while making them accessible to researchers. Your contribution helps the entire genealogy community.

Example: You can find transcription projects from many countries on From the Page.

Join in challenges or competitions run by genealogy groups. WikiTree runs regular challenges that encourage specific types of research. These might focus on improving profiles from particular time periods or locations. Challenges make routine tasks more engaging while improving the collaborative tree.

Four types of ways to collaborate in family history
How to collaborate in family history

Tips for Getting Started

Pick one or two ways that appeal to you. Don’t feel you have to participate in everything at once. Start small and find what works best for your research style and schedule.

Keep it simple. A single conversation with a relative, a short blog post, or one indexing project can make a real difference. Small contributions often lead to unexpected discoveries and connections.

For more tips on getting started with family history, check out my post What You Need to Know When Starting Family History.

Who could you collaborate with this week?

Choose one approach from this list and take that first step. The genealogy community is waiting to welcome you and share the adventure of discovering your family’s story.

About the Author

Danielle Lautrec is a genealogy educator, researcher, and author of The Good Genealogist. With qualifications in history, family history, and historical archaeology, she teaches for the Society of Australian Genealogists.

Methodology

What you need to know when starting family history

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You’ve decided to start researching your family history. Great decision! It’s the beginning of a fascinating journey that will connect you with your ancestors and help you understand the forces that shaped your family’s story.

But before diving into research techniques, you need to understand what family history really is, what approaches work best, and how to set yourself up for long-term success. That’s what this guide covers.

This article explains the difference between genealogy and family history, outlines best-practice research approaches, and introduces the methods and ethical considerations needed to build an accurate and meaningful family history.

What is family history?

Simply put, family history is the practice of researching the history of your ancestors.

But that’s where things get interesting, and sometimes confusing. People use different approaches and different terms to describe them. Let’s unpack the most important distinctions.

The lineage approach (traditional genealogy)

The lineage approach focuses on your direct-line ancestors: people you descended from—parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on. Researchers collect basic details like names, dates and places of birth, marriage and death.

This was once the standard method. It’s still used by beginners or those with only casual interest, and it’s what you’ll see in many online family trees.

A variation of this approach is used in medical research, where direct blood relationships matter. This is called ‘family health history’.

The problem? The lineage approach often leads to incomplete and inaccurate research. I call it tree building rather than genuine family history.

Example of a lineage chart. It just shows the parents, and birth and death dates. Without context, it means little.

The history approach (modern family history)

The history approach expands beyond direct ancestors to include broader family connections and the historical context in which people lived. It’s considered best practice because it creates a richer, more accurate understanding of the past.

Why does this work better?

Families aren’t just parents and children. Understanding your ancestors means exploring how the broader family related to each other and discovering their life stories.

Extended research improves accuracy. The FFANs method (Family, Friends, Associates, Neighbours) helps you gather more evidence. For example, your uncle’s birth certificate might contain information about your grandparents that wasn’t included in your father’s certificate.

Historical context may explain family decisions. Understanding the places your family lived and events they experienced may reveal why they made choices like migrating to a different country.

Like many people, I follow the history approach, but I use the two terms, ‘genealogy’ and ‘family history’ interchangeably.

Genetic genealogy

The use of DNA in family history is sometimes called ‘genetic genealogy’.

DNA testing has become an important part of family history research. While it requires specialised knowledge, so do other methods like interpreting photographs or conducting oral history interviews.

The key point: DNA is one type of evidence in family history. It is not an alternative research method.

Who counts as family?

This is one of the most common questions I’m asked, and the answer is personal to you.

You define the scope of your family history research. This could include:

  • adoptive parents and their ancestors—if they raised you, they shaped your story
  • foster parents, especially long-term carers
  • step-parents and step-siblings
  • close family friends who were like family
  • broader community connections.

There are no hard rules. Include whoever you consider family in some meaningful way.

Understanding historical research methods

Family history is historical research. We gather information from sources, assess their reliability, and interpret them to reconstruct a picture of the past.

Your sources might include:

  • written records (birth certificates, census returns, church registers)
  • oral histories
  • photographs and heirlooms
  • DNA results
  • archaeological evidence.

The first step in any family history is establishing who your family members are and how they’re related. That’s why we rely on birth, death and marriage records—official sources, usually produced by governments or churches, that are more likely to be accurate. These help us establish identity and relationships.

But not everything is in official records, and not all sources are online. Some have been lost, and others are held in archives, libraries or private collections. Be prepared to explore a wide range of sources to piece together the story.

Remember: history is interpretation. It’s not facts. We build interpretations from evidence, but that evidence can be incomplete or biased.

What you call ‘family history’ is influenced by your sources, your analysis, and even your values and interests. That’s part of the attraction. It’s your version of your family’s story.

Five fundamental principles for success

1. Start with yourself

You may want to start with your grandparents because you “know” they’re family. But assumptions can be wrong. I discovered late in life that my father was adopted.

Start with what you know about yourself and work backwards. This helps you avoid assumptions and build on reliable information.

2. Use the best sources available

The strength of your conclusions depends on the range of sources you use and their quality. Learn what sources exist, where to find them, and how to choose those that provide the best information. And, don’t forget to use both online and offline family history sources.

3. Think critically about every source

Never assume any source is completely accurate, even official ones. Compare multiple sources and evaluate how likely each is to be correct.

Information can vary between sources. For example, “James McDonald” might appear as “Jas MacDonell” in another record and “Jim Macdonald” in a third. Common causes are:

  • Spelling variations
  • Nicknames
  • Transcription errors
  • Intentional misinformation.

Be ready to change your conclusions when new evidence emerges.

4. Work systematically

Structure improves both efficiency and accuracy. It minimises unnecessary duplication and increases the chance of finding the evidence you need.

Follow a clear research process, use planning tools, and document your work to avoid duplication.

The family history research process
(based on Fig. 1 in The Good Genealogist – D. Lautrec 2022)

5. Prepare for surprises

Family history often reveals unexpected discoveries. Some may be fascinating; others may be challenging or even distressing.

You might uncover criminal records, unknown children, different ethnic backgrounds than expected, or family secrets. DNA can reveal that presumed parents weren’t biological ones. You might discover traumatic events like murder or suicide.

Plan how you’ll handle sensitive discoveries before you encounter them. Consider asking relatives whether they want to know difficult information before sharing it.

The Society of Australian Genealogists has a code of conduct and ethics that provides a useful guide. Another example is the Genetic Genealogy Standards.

What makes this journey worthwhile

Family history is both rewarding and challenging. It’s a skill you develop over time. The more you learn, the better your research becomes.

Important reality check: Family history is rarely something you “complete.” Many beginners expect to finish in a few weekends or a few months. The reality is different. As you find new evidence and re-evaluate assumptions, your family history grows and changes.

It’s an ongoing process of discovery, not a final product.

Good family history is accurate, comprehensive, and well-documented. You don’t have to do it all alone, and you don’t have to do it all at once.

What’s next?

This article introduced the foundation knowledge you need. The next articles in this series will address the practical questions that follow.

Family history research is more fun and rewarding when you share the experience with others. Find out how in 12 Ways to Collaborate in Family History.

Advice, Methodology

How to solve a genealogy research problem, with tools

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Family history frequently presents research problems. While online sources make information more accessible, interpreting that information can be a challenge. That challenge can be made easier if you have a systematic process and tools for solving genealogy research problems.

Genealogy research process

Firstly, make sure that you are following the five-step research cycle.

Process diagram showing 5 steps in the research process. Step 1 Goals, Step 2 Scoping, Step 3 Tasks, Step 4 Research, Step 5 Review
The Research Process (Source: The Good Genealogist, D. Lautrec 2022)

Research process steps:

  1. Identify your aims, objectives, research questions and hypotheses
  2. Scope to review the state of knowledge about your topic and the sources available
  3. Identify the information needed and the sources that may provide that information
  4. Conduct research
  5. Review

If you need more information about the research process, check the articles on the Plan page and Chapter 2 of my book, The Good Genealogist.

Genealogy research problem solving process and tools

This research process works well in most situations. However, sometimes you need to add a problem solving process. And you need tools to help you with each step.

Step 1 – Clarify

Revisit step 1 of the research process to review your research questions and hypotheses.

Make sure that your questions sit under relevant aims and objectives. Aims and objectives provide important context for your questions. They help clarify why the questions need to be answered and may even demonstrate that your questions need to change.

Try wording the questions differently. If you are not already working with hypotheses, generate some for each research question.

Tool:

Step 2 – Scope

Revisit step 2 of the research process and re-scope the problem.

Examine the sources and information again. Analyse your conclusions and the evidence. Consider whether the conclusions are reasonable and defensible. Examine whether there are gaps or inconsistencies that you missed the first time.

Tools:

  • Revise your scoping paper if you already have one, or write one if you do not.
  • Try transcribing key sources. This may help you notice details that you missed when reading.
  • Apply the Tree Health Assessment Tool to your tree. If you have already created the chart version, now create a table version examining more of the information in your tree.
  • Revise the evidence summaries for relevant conclusions (aka proof summaries), or write some if you do not have any. (see The Good Genealogist)
Four generation family tree chart in fan format, coloured green yellow and pink based on the amount of evidence for each person and relationship.
Example of a Tree Health Assessment chart. Green indicates good evidence, yellow indicates some evidence, pink indicates no evidence.

Step 3 – Fix

Research problems often occur as a result of errors made in previous research.

You must have a Solid Foundation. Identify any errors, inaccuracies or weaknesses in your family tree and fix them.

Tools:

Step 4 – Analyse

Analysis and more analysis!

Critical analysis is important throughout the research process. However, thinking of it as a separate step reminds you to do it more consciously and thoroughly.

Try breaking your research problem into smaller chunks. Tackle smaller pieces of the problem instead of the whole, and you may get closer to an answer.

Examine possible causes of your research problem. This may help you identify tactics to employ.

Analyse all of the information, sources and evidence more thoroughly and more objectively. Examine what other researchers have concluded about your research problem.

Tools:

  • Mind mapping is a great tool for breaking down problems, identifying gaps and highlighting inconsistencies.
  • A timeline is an essential analytical tool for all genealogy research problems.

Step 5 – Identify

Identify research leads.

Sources that you may not have examined before. Repositories you have not tried. Inconsistencies that should be resolved.

Identify extended family, friends, associates and neighbours (FFANs). Sources about these people may supply information relevant to your research questions.

Consider alternative explanations. Generate a wider range of hypotheses to explore.

Tools:

  • see tools listed in step 4
  • Revise your research plan if you already have one, or write one if you do not.

Step 6 – Investigate

Implement your research plan, investigate all research leads.

Update your documentation as you work, including relevant evidence summaries and your research plan. The process of documentation will help your analysis.

Problem solving method

There are three important things to keep in mind when solving family history research problems.

Do it again!

The research process and the problem solving process are both cyclic. You need to keep repeating the steps until you are finished.

Each time you revisit a problem or a source, you may notice something new.

Do things differently!

No problem is solved by continually doing things the same way. You must force yourself do something differently each time.

Do things more thoroughly!

Tough problems take time to solve. Pay attention to the details. Develop your analytical skills.

Diagram illustrating examples of ways that a genealogy researcher can approach things differently.
Solve a genealogy research problem by doing things differently (Generations Genealogy)

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Methodology, Sources and resources

How to take effective family history research notes

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Avoid wasting time on research notes that are totally useless next time you read them. Learn how to craft effective family history research notes.

I know, it sounds like a boring topic, but improving your skills in this area will make your research more accurate and more enjoyable.

Four elements of effective family history research notes

Effective family history research notes need:

  • appropriate context
  • useful content
  • a clear layout and
  • revision.

Purpose of family history research notes

You probably take notes throughout the research process and the purpose of the notes will vary depending on what you are doing. For example, you might be planning your research, recording information from sources, analysing evidence or jotting down ideas for a writing project. The purpose will also change depending on the specific topic that is currently under investigation.

Depending on your purpose, the context, content, layout and revision will vary, but each element is always relevant.

Your note taking process

Research notes that are stand-alone documents will be different to notes that you make directly into your family history software, online family tree, or into a research plan or research log.

The main difference is that stand-alone documents will need to include more context so that they make sense when they are not linked to your family tree. There may be layout differences too.

Effective family history research notes have appropriate context

Context is information that provides meaning to your research notes. Context places your notes in the broader setting of your family history and the research that you are conducting.

If you do not include appropriate context, your research notes will be next to useless.

As mentioned above, if you place your notes directly into your family tree or a research plan or log, then those provide some context. However, these tips may still be relevant.

Include information about the subject of your research notes, whether that be a person, a family group, a place or a topic. In most cases, you should also state your research objectives, research questions and/or hypothesis.

Be specific with this contextual information and it will help you construct your notes, by making it clear what you need to focus on. It will also help you understand your notes better when you read them again later.

You can include some background information about the person, family, place or topic. However, keep it short and relevant to your specific research questions.

You should also add contextual information to help you organise your research notes within your documentation system. As an example of this, I like to include the unique identifier numbers that my family history software assigns to the person or couple. This helps me link my notes to my family tree.

Effective family history research notes have useful content

Purpose and audience

The content of your research notes needs to have strong links to the purpose of your research. It also needs to be appropriate for the audience. These things change all the time. One approach will not be suitable for all occasions.

Each time you take notes, think about why you are making them, who is going to read them and what they need to do with them. Notes for your own research, for example, will be very different to those you take when you are researching for a client (paid or unpaid).

Take time to clearly identify your specific purpose and stick to it. You can always revisit the source or topic another time if you need more information for another purpose or a different research question.

What information should you include in your notes?

Consider the information you need to document to answer your research questions or achieve your research objectives. This sounds pretty obvious, but think of it in terms of the information you need to gather to provide evidence for reasonable and defensible conclusions.

flow diagram showing how research questions determine the information you need and the sources that you use

Is there information that fills a gap in your knowledge? Information that explains some aspect of your family history? Information that provides evidence that strengthens your conclusions? Or perhaps information that highlights an inconsistency in available information, or helps to resolve an inconsistency?

You may not always succeed in answering your research questions, but all research notes have the potential to provide you with research leads.

Copying information

Typically, historians, and all students I guess, are encouraged not to copy information verbatim but to paraphrase it instead.

There is certainly value in paraphrasing, but for family historians there is also a lot of value in copying information verbatim. Copying helps minimise the errors that can occur when paraphrasing and interpreting information.

If your research notes are based on extracting information from sources, they should include copies or extracts from those sources, as well as your own interpretation of that information.

Notes should include analysis too

Research notes are not all about copying information. They should also contain analysis.

Use your notes to record your analysis of the sources you used, the information you found and the evidence that this provides. You should also critically analyse any conclusions that others have made, to determine whether their conclusions are reasonable and defensible.

For my articles about analysing sources, go to the Analyse page.

Effective family history research notes have a clear layout

There is no standard template to help you take effective research notes, but there are certainly some characteristics that I can recommend. These are listed in the general order that I would follow.

  • First, always include a good quality source citation. I suggest that you create the citation before you start your notes, as the information you collect in that process will teach you about the source and inform your notes. If your research notes draw from multiple sources, they can be added as footnotes and a bibliography.
  • Include information about the repository if it is not mentioned in the citation. This will help you find the source again, if needed.
  • Next, state your research question(s) or hypothesis. Putting these near the top of your research notes provides a focus.
  • Other contextual information may sit well just after the research questions or hypothesis, or you may prefer to place it at the end of your notes.
  • Next, document the information and your analysis. Make sure that you clearly distinguish your analysis, interpretation and ideas from the source content to maintain clarity.
  • Then summarise the key points and make sure that they relate back to your research questions or hypothesis. Place your summary where it stands out. Perhaps at the top of your notes or in a text box.
  • If your notes help you identify further work that is required, this should be placed somewhere to the bottom of your notes.

Other layout options that can make your notes more user-friendly:

  • Use symbols, icons, headings and other formatting to highlight important concepts or key information.
  • Highlight key words, surnames, place names and topics to help you organise your notes.
  • Use visual elements such as maps, drawings, tables and timelines to explain and illustrate.
  • Cross reference your notes to other documentation where appropriate. Use hyperlinks to online sources or summaries, for example, if your notes are digital.

Effective family history research notes are reviewed and revised

It does take additional time, but reviewing and editing your research notes will make them more effective.

During the revision process you may:

  • improve the source citation
  • revise the research question or hypothesis
  • remove redundant information and make your notes more focused
  • expand on your analysis and clarify your thoughts
  • add information from other sources
  • gain new research leads
  • refine your language and remove ambiguous statements.

While I do recommend using your own brain for this step, you may also try using AI to summarise your research notes and edit your language.

More information

Read more about improving the quality of your family history in my book, The Good Genealogist.

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