Genealogy Tip of the Day

Genealogy can be confusing and sometimes what the family historian needs is something short and to-the-point that can help them get their research back on track. That's the intent of "Genealogy Tip of the Day."

Long-time genealogist Michael John Neill uses his thirty years of research experience to remind readers of things they had forgotten, make them aware of things they did not know, and encourage them to increase their research and analytical skills. This is not a typical how-to book that has a chapter for each content topic. Topics are spread throughout the book. Tips are based on actual research, actual families, and actual problems. Each day's tip is meant to be a relatively short read, is engaging, accurate, and occasionally funny.

Tip of the Day can be read front-to-back or browsed through at the reader's whim. Tips are about genealogical sources, pitfalls, and procedures based on Michael's extensive experience researching ancestors in the United States and abroad. Tips are practical, easy-to-understand, and applicable to those with ancestors in a variety of locations. Tips have been edited for clarity and updated when necessary. Any content that was time-sensitive has been removed. What's left is research advice and suggestions with some humor thrown in.

Table of Contents:

• How Grandma Said it, Pond Crossing, Lying, and More
• Grains of Truth, Reversed Names, and Date Fudging
• Links, Cutting off, Soundex, Perspective, and Infants
• Contemporary, “Paper or Plastic,” and Eternal Neighbors
• Undoing, Discrepancies, Math, and Avoiding Court
• Reused Names, Absolute Relationships, Leave the 21st Century
• Nicknames, Endogamy, Census Bridges, and Vacuums
• Popularity, Wrong Grandmas, New Wife
• Portable Ancestors, First Purchases, and Cousin Ken
• Dead Reasons, Getting and Giving, Just Me, and Death Names
• 100%, Errors, Rushing Structure, and Homemade Abbreviations
• Spousal Origins, Patronyms, and Death Causes
• Validation, Copyright, Life Estates
• Merging Saints, Circle Searching, Flukes, and Running Home
• Self-Checking, Boarders, Farmed Out, and Widow Power
• All I Need Is Love, Crossing a Line, and Joseph Conversions
• Leaving Family, Dead Proofing, One Little Entry

Genealogy Tip of the Day can help fill in those gaps in your genealogical skill set without being overly academic or tedious.