James Tanner – The Family History Guide Blog

September 6, 2025

What I Learned from 1418 Consultations for FamilySearch

Note: This article has been updated to reflect that FamilySearch consultations have not been discontinued. During the past five years, I have scheduled 1418 online consultations for FamilySearch.org. These consultations originated from the Salt Lake City FamilySearch Library website. There were dozens of people volunteering to respond to the consultation requests, mostly Church Service Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of...

Country Research/FamilySearch/Learning/Training/U.S. Research Comments: 0

August 10, 2025

FamilySearch Improved Merge Experience

Note: This article appeared previously in the Genealogy’s Star blog site. One basic fact about online family trees is their propensity to create duplicates. This apparently stems from the belief by each family tree contributor that their work is somehow unique and completely accurate. When this belief in uniqueness and accuracy is extended to the large online family tree websites,...

FamilySearch/Research

June 1, 2025

Is AI Helpful or Merely Trivial?

Note: This article appeared previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. As a genealogist, there is a division between activities that help and support genealogical/historical research and those that are mere play-time diversions. AI is not my “companion.” AI is not going to help me with my daily schedule. AI is not going to improve the quality of my life...

artificial intelligence/Records/Research

May 25, 2025

Genealogy Is Not Just Copying Names

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. In some parts of the world, particularly for people who descend from ancestors from Western Europe, genealogy is not a particularly new innovation or pursuit. In my 43 years of doing genealogical research, I spent the first 15 or so years copying genealogical information from my ancestors. This...

Records/Research

March 9, 2025

Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Genealogy at RootsTech 2025

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. See CRAIGEN.org The Coalition for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Genealogy will have a panel discussion at RootsTech 2025. The presentation will take place Friday in Ballroom B at Salt Palace and will also be live-streamed at 4:30 p.m. MT. There is a link for submitting...

artificial intelligence/RootsTech

February 3, 2025

FamilySearch 2024 Year in Review

Note: This article appeared previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. FamilySearch 2024 Year in Review FamilySearch.org I realize we are getting well into 2025, but I am always fascinated by what happened in the past year. FamilySearch.org had a banner year and from my standpoint, more than I can quickly learn about is coming in 2025. I do, however,...

FamilySearch

November 30, 2024

How to Analyze Genealogical Sources: Part Six

Editor’s Note: This article by was previously published in the Genealogy’s Star blog site . After you have reviewed a few thousand documents, you will work out your own method for analyzing the document or record and the information contained in the document or record. But meanwhile, it is a good idea to think about the process and make sure...

U.S. Research

October 27, 2024

Some Common Steps to Online Security

Note: This article was published previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. Security is one of the major concerns of the day. You can regularly read about huge websites and databases being hacked and the information stored compromised. Security on your computer or your smartphone should be as automatic as locking your door at night (or during the day...

Technology

July 28, 2024

Take a Look at FamilySearch Labs

Note: This article appeared previously in the Genealogy’s Star blog site. https://www.familysearch.org/en/labs/The current experiments in FamilySearch Labs include: Merge Analysis View: Understand the nuances of a merge from a tree person’s change log. Expand your search with Full Text: Unlock hidden discoveries in historical records that have never been searchable until now. Family Group Trees: Gather your family into...

artificial intelligence/FamilySearch/Research

June 9, 2024

The Accuracy of Inherited Genealogy

Note: This article appeared previously on the Genealogy’s Star blog site. Many genealogists “inherited” their interest in genealogy from a relative: parent, a grandparent, or some other relation. I became interested in genealogy in a different way, but I still inherited a lot of documents and information from two great-grandmothers. One of my great-grandmother published an almost 700 page...

FamilySearch/Records/Research

The Family History Guide Blog

Author: James Tanner