Merging & Separating Identities: Strategies and Tactics to Identify and Solve

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Course: 2025-09 – Merging & Separating Identities: Strategies and Tactics to Identify and Solve

Faculty:

Coordinator and Instructor: Jan Joyce, DBA, CG, CGL, AG
Other Instructors: Kristin Britanik; Nicole Dyer; Lynn Nelson; Kim Richardson

Tuition:

Regular Price: $585.00
NGS Member Price: $550.00

Description:

Merging and separating identities is a critical part of genealogical research and a fundamental challenge in the field. Discerning identities among individuals who share names, locations, or other identifiers is a prevalent challenge for researchers of all levels. Learn to initially identify the situation and then apply techniques that merge or separate identities, often of same-named individuals. The course focuses on the three main scenarios in which merging or separating identities is necessary:

Same name, one location
Same name, multiple locations
Different names, multiple locations

Important Notice Regarding Course Materials:
A traditional syllabus will not be provided. Instead, the faculty will distribute sections of your course materials during the course week. An outline will be made available one week before the course start date. You can compile the components provided and/or created in class to make a completed handbook for the course activities and lessons.

NOTE:
Sessions will be recorded and available through Friday, 11 July 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.

All times are listed in Eastern Time.
Live Sessions may be subject to schedule adjustments by your course coordinator.

Day	Session	Time	Session Title	Description	Instructor
Monday 23 June	Intro	10:00 – 10:30 AM	Class Intro	Meet your fellow classmates	Joyce
	1	10:30 – 11:45 AM	Introduction	This session will cover research questions for merging and separating identities. Different types of cases, their records, solutions and outcomes will be reviewed. An introduction to identifying and labeling will be reviewed that includes biases, assumptions, hypotheses, and mid-point conclusions.	Joyce
	2	Noon – 1:15 PM	Common Case Study	We will introduce and discuss the common case study and reveal an in-depth literature review with database access instructions.	Joyce
	3	2:15 – 3:30 PM	Identity Dossier	This session covers evidence & information mining and how to create and maximize an identity dossier. The dossier review includes how to build it with known information as well as hypotheses. Use of checklists, mind mapping, and sorting techniques are covered.	Joyce
	4	3:45 PM – 5 PM	Identity Dossier Workshop	This workshop allows students to work on either their own case, or the common case provided to the class. The instructor will be available to answer questions and provide guidance.	Joyce
Tuesday 24 June	5	10:30 – 11:45 AM	Collecting and Organizing	Methods to collect, document, record, and organize all the records for complex merging and separating cases will be reviewed.	Joyce
	6	Noon – 1:15 PM	Artificial Intelligence	Techniques to maximize the use of AI will be shared including best practices to organize, sort, and correlate.	Britanik
	7	2:15 – 3:30 PM	Timelines	As a tool to help merge and separate identities, timelines are crucial. A variety of tools will be demonstrated so students can choose the one best for their use.	Joyce
	8	3:45 PM – 5 PM	Same Name Case Study	A merging and separating case study will be shared that demonstrates techniques to solve difficult cases.	Nelson
Wednesday 25 June	9	10:30 – 11:45 AM	Multiple Name Case Study	Some merging and separating identity cases are created because one individual uses different names caused by a variety of reasons. Those reasons will be shared to allow students the ability to identify them. Identity dossiers for these cases will be introduced as well as methodologies and steps for analysis and correlation.	Joyce
	10	Noon – 1:15 PM	Tools – Mastering Identity Management: Spreadsheet Techniques	A review of locations as they relate to merging and separating identities is discussed. This will include jurisdiction changes as well as mapping through place and time.	Joyce
	11	2:15 – 3:30 PM	Offline Methods	Offline techniques to merge or separate identities are shown. This includes organizing, analyzing, and correlating.	Richardson
	12	3:45 PM – 5 PM	Offline Method Workshop	Students will be guided to work on the common case, or their own case, using the offline methods that are taught.	Richardson
Thursday 26 June	13	10:30 – 11:45 AM	FAN Club	Many solutions to difficult merging and separating cases are solved through identification, separation, and thorough tagging of FAN club members. This session provides techniques for students to practice.	Joyce
	14	Noon – 1:15 PM	DNA Case Study	A DNA case study is presented that showcases how DNA can be used to help merge, or separate, identities.	Hobbs
	15	2:15 – 3:30 PM	Tools – Mastering Identity Management: Spreadsheet Techniques	Learn powerful methods for resolving same-name individuals using spreadsheet analysis. This session explores essential data points to collect, systematic approaches to analysis, and correlation techniques that reveal hidden patterns. Rather than focusing on specific software products, discover why spreadsheet organizations becomes indispensable when untangling complex identity puzzles. Perfect for genealogists dealing with multiple individuals of the same name across different time periods and locations.	Dyer
	16	3:45 PM – 5 PM	Merged or Separated	As a follow-up to the literature review session, cases that in which identities were merged, and those that were separated, are compared. This contrast will help students identify factors in their own cases to determine which it might be.	Joyce
Friday 27 June	17	10:30 – 11:45 AM	Negative Findings & Negative Evidence	Most cases of merging or separating identities involve negative findings which may become negative evidence. We will discuss how to not only identify it, but also to seek it out, to strengthen the case.	Joyce
	18	Noon – 1:15 PM	Case study Structure, Including:	additional complexity is added when structuring a case study that includes merging or separating identities. Often, multiple candidates and the proof that includes, or excludes, them is lengthy. This session provides options for best structuring including the sequence of introducing the candidates and how to eliminate them, if applicable.	Joyce