Dive into advanced techniques to organise, analyse, and visualise your genealogical data effectively. Unlock the potential of spreadsheets to streamline your research, manage vast amounts of information, and uncover hidden connections in your ancestry. We’ll start by organising your data to make it easier to work with and analyse, using tools like slicers and Pivot Tables to find gaps, similarities, and demographic insights. Next, we’ll tackle tricky dates and create useful tools with built-in formulas. Finally, we’ll chart trends in your family history data and create compelling visuals to share with others.

Organise

1. Working with Data in a Spreadsheet: Learn how to break down data into separate fields and then put it back together again, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
2. Using a GEDCOM File: Import GEDCOM files from your family history program into a spreadsheet for cleaning and tidying data, making it easier to manage and analyse.

Analyse

1. Spreadsheet Tools for GEDCOM Files: Use spreadsheet tools like slicers and Pivot Tables to analyse GEDCOM files from various perspectives, finding gaps, similarities, and demographic insights.
2. Formulas for Pre-1900 Dates: Understand and apply formulas to work with pre-1900 dates, essential for accurate historical research.
3. Creating Date Tools: Develop tools to work with dates, enhancing your family history research and data accuracy.

Visualise

1. Charting Data: Create charts to visually represent trends and demographics, making patterns easier to understand.
2. Creating Family Visuals: Design graphics and visuals that can be shared with family members, making your genealogical findings more engaging and accessible.

By following this structure, you’ll be able to systematically organise, analyse, and visualise your genealogical data using spreadsheets, enhancing both your research process and the presentation of your findings.

Date: 8 October 2024 @ 6 PM Eastern US (3-hour session with a short break)

About the educator

Fiona Brooker

Fiona Brooker from Memories in Time is a professional genealogist who has been actively researching her family history for over thirty-five years. She has gained a Higher Certificate in Genealogy from the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies and is a ProGen graduate. Fiona has served as both President and Treasurer of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists (NZSG). She has organised family history conferences and expos in New Zealand and loves to teach and mentor family historians.