You have toiled over your family history. You have delved into the data, mined it for every iota of information, examined and evaluated your sources, analyzed and correlated your evidence, resolved any conflicts, and carefully crafted a narrative. Your work is accurate, but does your presentation compellingly tell the story? Does it convincingly summarize the depth and breadth of your analysis? Are you using all the tools available to you to effectively communicate with your family or clients and engagingly present the story of their ancestors? This presentation will show how to use text and images effectively in personal and client research and why it matters. Several examples will illustrate how to go from raw data to a polished display of information.

Named for her grandmothers and inspired by her mother’s phenomenal memory, Margaret R. Fortier, CG, is a Board-certified, Boston-based genealogical researcher, lecturer, and writer. Her client and personal research focuses on French-Canadian, Italian, Irish, and Portuguese immigrants. She holds an MS in Human Factors in Information Design from Bentley University. She serves on the board of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists and is a member of the New England chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Genealogical Speakers Guild as well as several local and national genealogical societies.