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Organizing for optimal efficiency

Take Control of Your Books with Zotero

Introduction: The Problem We All Face

If you’re a genealogist or historian, I imagine your environment might be something like this—bookshelves overflowing, stacks of books on every surface, forgotten magazines tucked into cabinets, and even digital books lost in the depths of Kindle or Google Books. You love your books and other knowledge assets, but they’re taking over. Dust is piling up, your space is shrinking, and worst of all—you’re rebuying books you already own because you’ve lost track of what’s in your collection. But there is a solution.

You don’t have to choose between loving your books and having a productive environment for new knowledge. I’m not telling you to get rid of those precious assets—just to get smarter about keeping track of them. That’s where Zotero comes in.

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Taming the AI Beast: Avoiding ChatGPT Hallucinations in Genohistory

Genealogists and historians are diving headfirst into the exciting world of AI-assisted research, where tools like ChatGPT offer a wealth of possibilities for uncovering family and community stories. But how do you ensure you’re uncovering truths, not imaginative fabrications? AI hallucinations—those moments when ChatGPT confidently gives you false information—can mislead your research if you’re not vigilant. Here’s how to navigate AI’s challenges and harness its power for genohistory.

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New Year, New Tools: Harnessing Zotero for Family History Research

Make 2025 the year you take your family history research to the next level. Discover how Zotero, the ultimate knowledge management tool for research, can help genealogists and historians merge family history and historical context into compelling genohistory. This New Year’s plan could transform your approach to research, storytelling, and legacy-building.

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A traveler on a dirt path finds the way blocked by a boulder pile.

Boulder Demolition for Genohistorians: Uncovering Ancestral Trails

If you have been doing ancestral research for some time, and taking it seriously, you know the glorious victory of tumbling a brick wall or two. You broke through to a piece of historical or genealogical knowledge that had eluded you. But some of us will eventually find our research path impeded by something bigger and much harder than a brick wall. What do you do when your path is blocked by a landslide of granite boulders ten times your height? The information you need is not just elusive. It’s gone.

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A 90-60 Census Workbook Case Study: Mystery of the Hanna Men

Why were young men named Hanna starting to show up in multiple households of the sons of James Crook, the hub person of my current genohistory project? Getting an answer meant facing the PIP censuses, but with the 90-60, bring them on.

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Passably Equipped: Conquering PIP Censuses with the PASSED Method

This article may be republished in your genealogical society magazine or newsletter. Simply notify me by email with the name of your organization, name of the publication, and date it will be published. Also include this statement with the article: “Republished with permission of Donna Cox Baker at Genohistory.com.”

I felt reasonably smart as I began my genealogy education. Not MENSA smart, mind you, but at least a bit above average. My ego took a bashing though, when I first hit the infamous roadblock—the PIP censuses (often mislabeled “pre-1850”) that only name the head of household with a string of tally numbers. It mystified me that anyone found them useful. An old spreadsheet had bested me until the PASSED Method emerged, made viable by an alignment tool I call the 90-60 Census Workbook.

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You’re syncing, but are you backing up?

Failing to understand the difference between syncing and backing up your precious research could cost you years of work. Take a minute to wrap your mind around the two. Make it a priority.

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Introduction to Macros: Automating Repetitive Tasks

An obscure and often overlooked button on your Microsoft Office toolbar—a thing called “macros”—can save you time, tedium, and trouble when you need to do a repetitive change across a lot of text or data. The macro I will describe below cut my work time by 97%!

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Paperless genealogy: A commitment

Today, as I watch the Notre Dame Cathedral in flames, I know I cannot put this post off any longer. Our research is a fragile thing, if dependent upon paper files. It’s unsafe if dependent upon a single copy in any form. Not even two copies will save it in a disaster, if both are kept together. You’ve heard it all before. You need to commit to paperless genealogy. But today, please hear it and act.

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Instant citations: Zotero’s Magic Bullet

Genealogy friends, if I told you a free product could capture source citation information instantly for most sources in online catalogs with one click of your mouse, would you believe me? Instant citations? It is bonafide, proven, and you can prove it to yourself this very day.

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