{"id":1955,"date":"2014-05-29T14:29:30","date_gmt":"2014-05-29T20:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.rootsmagic.com\/?p=1955"},"modified":"2014-05-29T14:50:09","modified_gmt":"2014-05-29T20:50:09","slug":"tip-get-research-help-with-rootsmagic-and-gensmarts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.rootsmagic.com\/?p=1955","title":{"rendered":"Tip: Get Research Help with RootsMagic and GenSmarts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GenSmarts<\/p>\n

Have you ever stared at your RootsMagic screen wondering where to look next (or maybe even where to start)?\u00a0There are so many record types and websites to search that you aren’t even sure where to begin. \u00a0Or maybe you are a seasoned genealogist who just wants to make sure you don’t overlook anything. \u00a0Did you know there is a program called GenSmarts which can help you choose which records to search for any person in your file?<\/p>\n

And best of all, we have the chance to offer a special discount on GenSmarts<\/a> for a limited time.<\/p>\n

Research Suggestions from GenSmarts<\/h2>\n

GenSmarts is a program that makes research recommendations for people in your RootsMagic file. \u00a0If you have GenSmarts installed, you can highlight any person in your file, then select Tools<\/strong> > GenSmarts Suggestions<\/strong>\u00a0from the RootsMagic menu, and RootsMagic will display a list of research suggestions for that person.<\/p>\n

\"GenSmartsSuggestions\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So how does GenSmarts come up with these suggestions? \u00a0It creates a profile of your ancestor based on where and when they lived, and then matches that profile with its inventory of known records to make predictions about the record trail your ancestors may have left behind. \u00a0Each suggestion will include the logic behind the suggestion, and where that type of record can be found. \u00a0Keep in mind that these are suggestions… GenSmarts doesn’t know if your ancestor is in a particular record, just that it is the type of record your ancestor is likely to show up in.<\/p>\n

If a record type is available online, you can just click the “Look online” button and GenSmarts will attempt to find your ancestor in those records. \u00a0GenSmarts knows which online sites have which records, so it knows whether to search FamilySearch, Ancestry, FindAGrave, or whatever other site has that particular record type. \u00a0If more than one site has the records, it will default to the free site.<\/p>\n

What if a suggestion is only available from a pay site (like Ancestry), but you don’t have a subscription? \u00a0GenSmarts will take you to the “teaser page” of the site so you can get an idea whether a record exists for your ancestor. \u00a0You can then add the suggestion to the RootsMagic person’s to-do list, and later print out a list of all the suggestions you need to pursue for a particular website. \u00a0You can then take that list to the local library or Family History Center where you can do the actual search. \u00a0This little trick (as well as other GenSmarts features) is shown in the video below.<\/p>\n