Genealogy Education Programs & Activities – Part 2

In my last couple of posts, I have been taking a look at the state of my own genealogy education, and sharing some of the educational opportunities out there that I have learned from or hope to learn from in the future. Here are a few more types of activities that can help to strengthen...

Evaluating My Genealogy Education

Lately, I have been challenging myself to push my own genealogy research to the level required for application for certification by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG). Most recently, I have been working on cataloging and evaluating my development activities, or the educational efforts that have helped me enhance my genealogy knowledge and refine...

Evaluating My Genealogy Research: The Genealogist’s Code of Ethics

As I mentioned previously, I’m challenging myself to compare my work to the standards set by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. The first component of a portfolio for those applying for certification with the BCG (or for those aiming to perform genealogy research at that level) is to agree to abide by The Genealogist’s...

Striving to Meet Genealogy Standards: Part 2 – Evaluating My Own Work

Last week, I discussed the Genealogical Proof Standard and Genealogy Standards, and how I believe that all genealogists can benefit from keeping these standards in mind as they study their family histories. As I attempt to improve my own research methods, I've been trying to be more careful with my work, adhering to the standards...

Striving to Meet Genealogy Standards: Part 1 – Understanding the GPS and Genealogy Standards

For about as long as I have been researching my family’s history (nearly twenty years now), I have worked to improve my genealogy research – not only in the number of ancestors I have identified or how much I have learned about each of them, but also in terms of the quality of my research...

Questioning the Question

Thinking carefully about a research question before diving in can help to a) highlight what I already know and b) define what, precisely, I want to answer with my research.