Practical Genealogy for Serious Researchers
"Your ancestors left a paper trail."
"We'll teach you to follow it."
Free weekly missions that build real genealogy skills - from your first census search to advanced DNA analysis. Each mission includes a downloadable research tool you can take to the archive.
Your Learning Path
Progressive missions that build on each other
What Is Operation Granny Files?
Operation Granny Files is a progressive genealogy education series. Each mission is a self-contained lesson that teaches a specific research skill and comes with a free downloadable artifact—a field guide, quick reference, or workbook—you can use immediately.
Missions build on each other, from the absolute basics of Genealogy 101 through advanced methodology in the 300- and 400-level courses. Whether you're interviewing your grandmother for the first time or decoding a Civil War pension file, there's a mission for where you are right now.
Latest Missions
Read the newest lessons and download their research tools
Mission 35 DNA + Ethics The Surprise in the Spit Kit — When DNA Tells You Something the Family Didn’t
An unexpected DNA match is a question, not an answer. Learn to verify carefully, reach out gently, and decide who needs to know before you tell anyone.
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Mission 34 Methodology When the Records Burned — Ireland, Scotland, and What to Do When the Archive Is Gone
Ireland's archive burned in 1922, but not every record went with it. Learn the substitution method that works in Dublin or a burned Georgia county.
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Mission 33 Specialty Crossing the Channel — England & Wales: Parishes, Counties, and the Records That Survived
Find the parish first, then use censuses, civil registration, and surviving parish records to trace English and Welsh roots.
Read Mission →Free Research Tools
Downloadable field guides, quick references, and workbooks
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