The July–September 2022 Issue of the NGS Magazine is Now Online

The July–Sept 2022 Issue  

of the NGS Magazine is Now Online

The July–September 2022 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 48, Number 3, is being printed and is now available online in the Members Only section of the website. Delivery of print copies depends upon USPS schedules. This issue’s theme is Genealogy Tools.

EDITOR'S NOTE by Deb Cyprych

Genealogical tools of various types can help researchers in charting a new course of discovery. The articles in this issue describe tools genealogists can develop for customized purposes.

Shannon Green explores the importance of correlation in the research process. Her examples illustrate the value of tables, maps, and timelines as tools of comparison and contrast that enable researchers to view data from a different angle, generate ideas for further study, test hypotheses, and assess and communicate the validity of conclusions.

Mind maps offer customized formats for following the trail of evidence. Amy Larner Giroux’s approach starts with a record rather than a central idea. She outlines four steps for using a hand-drawn or electronic mind map to plot the basic elements in the record, analyze information and develop questions, explore possible paths to find solutions, and create a research plan for the next steps.

Locality guides improve research effectiveness by increasing knowledge of a specific area and its resources. Jan Joyce discusses the advantages of creating succinct, individualized guides and presents a step-by-step process for their development and usage: targeting the geographic locality, conducting a literature review, writing the guide, using it, and refining its information.

Timelines are fundamental tools for gaining a new perspective in genealogical research. Cari Taplin describes the benefits, creation, and organization of timelines. Her examples display the use of timelines to notice gaps in research, suggest locations of records, distinguish the identities of people with similar names, and organize multiple items of information, among many other features.

Microsoft Excel’s power for analysis and manipulation of data is significant and can be tapped for many purposes. Jill Crandell provides instructions for calculations of ages and time intervals, sorting large volumes of data to solve research problems, and workarounds to handle Excel’s inability to format dates prior to 1900.

Columnists in this issue present information about genealogy tools as well. Paul Woodbury explains how the Leeds Method, SmartArt and Lucidchart, and What Are the Odds? can help with interpreting DNA evidence. Rhonda Hoffman discusses the development of questions for surveying society members. Kathy Petlewski describes her method of creating digital catalog cards to keep track of books and make them easily accessible.

On a different topic, Craig R. Scott uses a case study for an Illinois soldier to outline the sources available for researching US soldiers, sailors, volunteers, and militiamen in the Mexican War. More than one hundred thousand US servicemen participated in the 1846-1848 War with Mexico, which resulted in the United States obtaining a half million acres of territory in the West and Southwest.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

• NGS 2023 Family History Conference: Specialize Research Facilities in Virginia by Teresa Kelley
• Correlation: A Powerful Research Tool by Shannon Green, CG
• Enhancing Source Analysis with Mind Maps by Amy Larner Giroux, PhD, CG, CGL
• Creating and Using Locality Guides as Genealogical Tools by Jan Joyce, DBA, CG, CGL, AG
• Using Timelines to Gain Perspective on Research Problems by Cari A. Taplin, CG
• Unlocking the Power of Microsoft Excel for Genealogical Research by Jill N. Crandell, MA, AG 
• Researching US Servicemen in the Mexican war by Craig R. Scott, CG, FUGA

Departments

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by Kathryn M. Doyle
• EDITOR'S NOTE by Deb Cyprych
• NGS NEWS
• Make Connections on FORUM by Kate Smith
• 2022 NGS Awards and Competition Results Announced by Judy Nimer Muhn
• DNA DISCOVERY
• Charts and Diagrams for Genetic Genealogy: Organization, Analysis, and Reports by Paul Woodbury
• SOCIETY FORUM
• Surveying Society Memberships: Part 1, Questions by Rhonda Hoffman, MLS
• REFERENCE DESK
• Maintaining a Personal Genealogy Library Catalog in the Digital Age by Kathy Petlewski, MSLS

NGS Magazine is published quarterly to update members of the National Genealogical Society on NGS activities and to provide genealogists with special information and guidance on conducting effective genealogical research. The magazine is sent to libraries by subscription. Online access to NGS Magazine is available only as long as membership is active.