How They Do It: Diana Elder

Today’s entry in my How They Do It series in an interview with Diana Elder of Family Locket. I’ve admired her talks and her contribuitions to the genealogy community through the years and I was delighted when she agree to do this interview. Diana Elder AGⓇ is a professional genealogist accredited in the Gulf South region of the United States. Diana authored Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide and co-authored the companion volume, Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence. Diana and her daughter, Nicole Dyer, are the hosts of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast and share research tips on their website, FamilyLocket.com.

How They Do It: Diana Elder

How long have you been doing genealogy research? 

I started researching my family in earnest in 2003 when my dad gave me all of his research in a suitcase. In 2015 I started doing client work and found I loved researching in a variety of locations.

What’s your favorite thing about being a genealogist?

I love making discoveries  – especially solving brick wall cases.

What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to organizing your genealogy?

Right now my biggest challenge involves the three large file boxes of documentary work I inherited from my father and added to once I took over the research in 2003. I’m slowly working through the files and making sure the research is digitized and organized in my digital files.

What is your favorite technology tool for genealogy?

Hands down, my favorite tech tool is my Airtable research log. I use it for all my research whether it involves DNA or not.

If you were starting out new as a genealogist what would you do differently?

I would follow my Research Like a Pro process – doing a project for each ancestral line and ending up with a source-cited report for each ancestral couple.

Do you keep a research log? If so, what format?

Absolutely! I don’t feel that I’m doing real research unless I am working from my research plan and tracking the results in my Airtable research log.

How do you keep track of clues or ideas for further research?

The Airtable research log template has a column/field for comments or results. I add notes here or sometimes add another column for ideas for further research. My research report always includes a section titled “Future Research Suggestions.” I’ve found that no project is ever finished – there is always more that can be done. (That’s a screen shot of Diana’s Airtable DNA Research log at right. Click on it to see a larger image.)

How do you go about sharing your personal research with cousins or other interested parties?

I write up my research in a fully cited report that I upload to an ancestor’s profile on FamilySearch. I can also easily share the report with other researchers.

What’s the most important thing you do to prepare for a research trip?

I prepare a research plan based on my objective, the available sources, and what I hope to discover.

What’s your biggest piece of advice to genealogists in terms of organizing their research?

Research by objective. Focus on something specific that you’d like to discover such as death date and place, unknown father, etc.

Do you have a dedicated space in your home for doing genealogy research? What’s it like?

Yes, I have an office with my desktop computer, two monitors, shelves for my many books, and a filing cabinet.

Thank you, Diana! If you’d like to explore more of Diana’s advice on researching like a pro, be sure to check out the Family Locket website and blog. She and her daughter Nicole have such clear and complete advice on many genealogy topics. (If you favor videos, be sure to check out their YouTube channel.) Diana’s enthusiasm for Airtable has me wanting to check it out! If you’re intrigued as well, check out this Family Locket YouTube video on using Airtable for creating a research log for FAN Club genealogy research.