Open-Genealogy

A toolkit of AI prompts and utilities for genealogical research, designed to follow the Genealogical Proof Standard. For genealogists at every level — from hobbyists exploring their first census record to credentialed professionals managing client work.

Start With GRA v9.2.0

Before copying, pasting, or uploading a record: standard Codex, Claude, and other hosted AI workflows process the material with a cloud model. Do not send living-person details or any record that is too sensitive for the service you choose. Treat every AI response as draft analysis; verify records, citations, and conclusions yourself.

Choose the GRA v9.2.0 edition that fits your client.

• Agent Skill: for an Agent Skills client that can work with a local folder and supporting references. Download the installable ZIP from the v9.2.0 release.
• Chat Edition: a self-contained prompt for ordinary chat, Custom GPTs, and Gems. See the immutable repository artifact at the release tag.

GRA v8.5, v8, and v7 remain available under the documented compatibility and history route.

What's Here

• Trifecta Complete Reference
  • Description: Full guide to one genealogist, two AI assistants, one folder, and GRA v9.2
  • Start Here: Reference guide and chatbot-accessible Markdown
• Genealogy AI Starter Workspace
  • Description: Project-folder starter kit for Codex, Claude Code, and Cowork
  • Start Here: README.md
• Research
  • Description: Current GRA v9.2.0 Chat Edition plus retained research history
  • Start Here: v9.2.0 Chat Edition
• GRA Skill
  • Description: Current GRA v9.2.0 Agent Skill source and supporting references
  • Start Here: GRA v9.2.0 Agent Skill
• Transcription
  • Description: Diplomatic transcription for handwritten documents
  • Start Here: ocr-htr-v08.md
• Image Analysis
  • Description: Forensic image interpretation for historical photographs
  • Start Here: deep-look-v2.md
• Hebrew Headstones
  • Description: Jewish cemetery headstone analysis with gematria dating
  • Start Here: hebrew-headstone-helper-v9.md
• Photo Restoration
  • Description: Historical photograph restoration
  • Start Here: restoration-v2.md
• Writing Tools
  • Description: Narrative writing, web briefing, fact extraction, language advising, editing
  • Start Here: narrative-assistant-v3.md
• Assistants
  • Description: AI personas, GEDCOM creation and analysis
  • Start Here: gedcom-builder-v1.md
• GPT Configs
  • Description: Custom GPT system prompts for OpenAI deployments
  • Start Here: README.md
• Skills
  • Description: Claude Code skills with companion files
  • Start Here: skills/
• Scripts
  • Description: Privacy-aware batch and long-audio transcription utilities
  • Start Here: batch_transcribe_v2.py
• Media
  • Description: Audio explainers and supporting media
  • Start Here: README.md
• Benchmark
  • Description: AI research evaluation framework
  • Start Here: README.md

Full catalog: INDEX.md | Detailed guide: GETTING-STARTED.md | Historical v8 guide: GETTING-STARTED-v8-legacy.md | Guided tour: TOUR-REPORT.md

Quick Start

1. Read the privacy and living-person boundary above.
2. Choose the GRA v9.2.0 Agent Skill or Chat Edition.
3. Follow the edition-specific setup at the linked v9.2.0 release source.
4. Provide only material you are comfortable processing with the selected tool.
5. Verify the resulting analysis against the records.

New here? The Getting Started guide walks through setup, first use, and common workflows.

Featured: GPS Research Methodology

The research/ folder contains prompts designed to follow the Genealogical Proof Standard—the professional methodology for evidence-based genealogical conclusions.

Key features:

• Evidence Analysis Process Map: Classifies sources (Original/Derivative/Authored), information (Primary/Secondary), and evidence (Direct/Indirect/Negative)
• Epistemic transparency: Separates what sources state from inference from uncertainty
• Conflict resolution: Explicit protocols for handling contradictory evidence

Aligned with the methodology described in:

• Mills, Evidence Explained, 4th ed. (2024)
• BCG, Genealogy Standards, 2nd ed. revised (2021)

Benchmark

The benchmark/ folder preserves four historical model outputs and a teaching rubric for close reading. The retained evidence does not support a reproducible model ranking; read the benchmark's current methodology notice before using it.

Notice

This toolkit applies widely recognized genealogical research principles. It is not published by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Elizabeth Shown Mills, the Board for Certification of Genealogists, or any certifying body. References to published standards indicate methodological alignment, not authorization or derivation.

License

Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 covers Steve-authored content within its stated scope. It does not automatically cover third-party, historical, or limited-permission media included in the repository. Read RIGHTS.md and the Rights and License Matrix before reusing an image, audio file, captured model output, quotation, or other material that may have separate rights.

Author

Steve Little (@DigitalArchivst)