Kirkpatrick Research Project
Reviving a hobby I started a long time ago, and which has been sitting in the corner for 20 years.
Pages
From Ireland to America – William Gray Kirkpatrick
Click here to access the data entry form for submitting basic information regarding a relative
Below are the tools I’m using to restart the project. Very early stages, this page. Still modifying the defaults. I am not compensated in any way for any products appearing on this site, nor do I hold any rights or claim. Any intellectual property is the property of their respective owners. All views, opinions and comments are my own, and do not reflect on or represent the linked entities in any way.
As much as I can, I use Open Source or free software and services. The quality and capabilities of open source software is amazing. Hardware, on the other hand… Sometimes, ya just gotta shell out for the tools. -_^
GRAMPS
Data Repository (free, open source)
Genealogical Research and Analysis Management Programming System is a free genealogical database and reporting tool. You get a lot for the price – GRAMPS has a wide range of reports and search tools to find individuals to update (or add, as the case may be.) Imports and exports .GED and other formats for portability.
DokuWiki
Family Wiki (free)
Though not specifically a genealogy tool, Dokuwiki is a free wiki solution I thought would be cool to use as a sort of Wikipedia of the family. It takes a bit of setting up, including the installation and configuring of a local web server, mySQL database and Tomcat – a basic XAMPP setup.
I hope to eventually make my wiki available securely for family members to use and update online. For now, I need to manually open a port to my home network for outside access.
23andMe
DNA Relatives. ($99 – $200)
Yep. Had my DNA analyzed. 23andMe was a very cool Christmas gift, which I immediately took advantage of. Within a few weeks, I had my results, reports and a list of possible relatives I’ve never heard of. I’ve already connected with a few.
You can also download your raw genome data for upload to genealogy sites that have DNA matching services. There are some who are wary of the potential confidentiality issues in this, and I have not subscribed to an online site yet. Study up to make your best decision on that.
There are several different DNA test kits out there, even for dogs, so shop around. They have differing approaches, features, and price ranges.
Google Earth
Mapping (free)
Genealogical Research and Analysis Management Programming System is a free genealogical database and reporting tool. I place markers for relevant locations on the map, then export a .kml file for sharing.
I use the local version, as I’m just old-fashioned that way, plus, it’s faster, and I like all the downloadable layers one can find.
Another great thing is the measurement tool, which helps to really pinpoint distances and sizes of things to prepare for in-person research, where you have to find things from the ground level.
What3Words
Fine-tuned Global Locations (free)
Although it’s quite simple to find a landmark on an online map these days, it’s still a pain to give someone the exact position. Enter W3W. Each 3-square-meter area on Earth is defined by three words, such as “stroke.small.curiosity”, one of the squares that exactly define the location of the Statue of Liberty. The three words themselves are fairly random, having nothing to do with the square they define, but they never change. In my records, I try to include the nearest W3W address to all locations, including homes, landmarks and headstones.
Then, when I’m nearby, I can just enter the words in the app, and easily find what I’m looking for.
GIMP
Photo Editing (freeware)
The GNU Image Manipulation Program is an open source alternative to Photoshop and other high-end photo editing suites. It is constantly updated by developers all over the world, and there are tons of tutorials and videos out there to help you get the most out of it. I restore old photos, tweak and scale, and even use it to zoom in and clarify little things in photos that help me identify them. Excellent tool.
Epson Perfection V600 Photo
Photo and Document Scanning
The V600 is a fantastic scanner for this project. A full, legal-sized table, a wide range of scanning resolution settings, lots of file output options and more. Scans Photos, docs, slides and negatives, and works pretty fast . Placing multiple photos on the bed at the same time, you can lasso them one at a time and scan them seperately, saving tons of document swapping time.
I’ve taken old, 1-inch-square contact photos and scanned them to fullscreen size without maxing the resolution of the scanner. Nice.
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