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 workresearch-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
Key Features
Professional Standards
- Built on Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS)
- Evidence Explained citation methodology
- Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) standards
Progressive Disclosure
- Core instructions in SKILL.md (~4k words)
- Detailed reference material loaded as needed
- Templates available for document creation
Comprehensive Coverage
- 14+ citation templates
- Detailed conflict resolution frameworks
- Advanced research strategies
- Complete GPS guidelines
Installation
Quick Start (Experienced Users)
- Download the latest release from [Releases](htt
Features
Professional Standards
- Built on Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS)
- Evidence Explained citation methodology
- Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) standards
