Family History Research Planning Skill for Claude

Claude Skill to provide assistance with planning family history and genealogy research projects.

⚠️ Privacy and Responsible AI Use

Protect Private Information: When using AI tools for genealogy research, take reasonable measures to safeguard private and sensitive information about living individuals and recently deceased persons.

Best Practices:

DO NOT share personal identifying information (Social Security Numbers, birth certificates, addresses of living people, medical records, or other sensitive data) with AI systems
DO NOT upload documents containing information about living individuals or recently deceased persons (generally within the last 75-100 years)
DO remove or redact private information before sharing research materials with AI
DO focus on historical records and deceased individuals when using AI assistance
DO verify all AI-generated information with primary sources
DO comply with applicable privacy laws, terms of service, and ethical genealogical standards

This skill follows the principles of the Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy (CRAIGEN), which promotes accuracy, privacy protection, disclosure, education, and compliance in genealogical AI use.

Remember: AI systems may retain and learn from information you provide. Always prioritize privacy and use discretion when sharing genealogical data.

Overview

This skill provides Claude with specialized knowledge and workflows for family history and genealogy research following the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) and Evidence Explained citation methodology.

Skill Structure

genealogy-research-skill/
├── SKILL.md                              # Main skill file (loaded when skill triggers)
├── references/                           # Reference documentation (loaded as needed)
│   ├── citation-templates.md            # Citation formats for 14+ source types
│   ├── evidence-evaluation.md           # Conflict resolution frameworks
│   ├── gps-guidelines.md                # Genealogical Proof Standard details
│   └── research-strategies.md           # Advanced research methodologies
└── assets/                               # Templates for output documents
    └── templates/
        ├── research-plan-template.md    # Simplified research project planning (practical)
        ├── research-plan-guidance.md    # Detailed guidance and best practices
        ├── citation-template.md         # Citation library entry
        ├── evidence-analysis-template.md # Evidence analysis report
        └── research-log-template.md     # Research session documentation

What This Skill Does

1. Research Planning

Guides users through creating structured family history research plans with:

Specific research questions
Source identification
Search strategies
GPS framework integration
Timeline and milestones

Templates:

```
research-plan-template.md
```
- Simplified, practical template for day-to-day research work
```
research-plan-guidance.md
```
- Comprehensive guidance with examples, checklists, and best practices

2. Citation Creation

Generates properly formatted genealogical citations for:

Census records
Vital records (birth, marriage, death)
Church records
Land and probate records
Military records
Immigration records
Newspapers
Online databases
Published books and manuscripts

3. Evidence Analysis

Systematically analyzes conflicting genealogical evidence:

Individual source evaluation
Reliability assessment
Conflict identification
Resolution frameworks
Preponderance of evidence analysis
GPS compliance checking
Proof argument construction

4. Research Documentation

Creates professional research logs documenting:

Sources searched (positive and negative results)
Search strategies
Findings and discoveries
Evidence quality assessment
Next steps

When Claude Uses This Skill

Claude automatically loads this skill when users:

Ask about family history or genealogy research
Mention family history, genealogy or ancestry
Need help with genealogical citations
Have conflicting information from multiple sources
Ask about research planning methods or strategies
Reference census records, vital records, or historical documents
Need help analyzing evidence quality

Family History Research

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