Righting Your Wrongs Through Writing – Lori Thornton

SESSION: NGS2104-WRI-02 TRACK: States

Lori Thornton

When we first begin our genealogical research, we often jump around a great deal from one line to another as something catches our attention. We lack an understanding of all the resources available. We may not cite things properly. We may fail to make notes on things examined that yielded no useful information. As we mature, we need to re-examine older research. The task seems daunting. How can we approach this? We can write. Numerous platforms for accomplishing this exist.

Writing helps us identify the flaws in our research. Did we jump to a conclusion without enough evidence? Did we fail to get all the censuses? Did we miss out on the land records and all their useful clues? With our information, does our ancestor sound boring or does he sound like someone who experienced life? As we add the documentation to our narrative, we can spot incomplete citations or things needing sources. We can locate other things that help create a fuller picture of the story a record tells. Research guides and check lists help identify sources we failed to include. Some tips on finding and creating these will be discussed.

As we review our research to meet the genealogical proof standard in our own research and write our ancestral narrative, we can share our ancestors’ stories with a wider audience, perhaps igniting a genealogical passion in another family member.

Lori also presents “Mississippi Roots: Finding Your Magnolia State Ancestors.”

BIO: Lori Thornton is a librarian and professional genealogist specializing in Southern States. She wrote Research in Mississippi for the National Genealogical Society’s Research in the States series.

The Virtual NGS 2021 On-Demand! Viewing Starts 15 June

This lecture series is available to view from home on your computer or mobile device and offers you the opportunity to develop exceptional genealogy skills with a highly comprehensive set of on-demand webinars from NGS’s expert conference speakers. On-Demand! packages of audio-visual lectures are now available for purchase.

Select from the 20 or 40 On-Demand! lecture packages with over 85 sessions to choose from. Watch starting 15 June 2021 through 31 December 2021. Both packages come with access to two full days of NGS 2021 Live! from 19-20 May 2021, the virtual conference syllabus, and sponsored bonus sessions. Plus, view the sessions from NGS 2021 Live! and any sessions you did not choose from the breakouts (nine more) beginning 15 June. All sessions will be closed captioned.

To learn more about the NGS 2021 Virtual Family History Conference’s week-long events, 17-21 May, visit the conference and download a copy of the program brochure.