In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss the process for accreditation through ICAPGen, the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists. I asked a lot of questions about writing the 4-generation report, the testing levels, and how to prepare. Listen in to hear all Diana’s great advice! Also, it’s the last day […]

Have you been following my journey of accreditation for the past two years? If so, I’m pleased to announce that as of July 15th 2017, I am now an Accredited Genealogy Professional. Today I’ll fill you in on my path to accreditation including the bumps and pitfalls along the way. July 2015 I attended the […]

One of my favorite parts of the BYU family history conference is getting to know Accredited Genealogists and professors from the BYU family history department. This year as we attended, we reflected about the difference this conference has made in our lives. Two years ago Diana attended for the fist time and took the ICAPGen […]

Think of a time when you were a rookie. What happened? How did you operate? What did you do when you didn’t know what to do? What were your aspirations? Liz Wiseman, author of Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work,  asked us these questions during her keynote address at the […]

One year ago I posted my goal for 2016: to become an Accredited Genealogist. Luckily I gave myself a caveat that if I didn’t get it done in 2016, there was always 2017. Well, it’s officially 2017, and I do need the extra time to meet this goal. What did I learn last year? Where […]

Are you intrigued with the idea of using DNA to break down your brick walls? Have you done a DNA test but don’t know what to do with your results? Have you wondered what the future holds for DNA and genealogy? You might want to consider attending RootsTech 2017 where more classes than ever will focus on DNA. […]

What do ethics have to do with genealogy? Turns out, a lot. If you’re paying someone to research your family, you expect the results to be accurate, not fabricated to achieve an objective. You should feel like your money has been well spent and the researcher has used their time well.  A simple Google search […]

How would you like to produce a research project in three hours complete with a research log, report, documents, family group sheet, and pedigree chart? That is exactly what each Accreditation candidate is asked to do for the final stage of testing. To be honest, this part of the process scared me the most so […]

Have you ever wondered what is at your state archives? Tucked away in a corner, could you find a clue to your ancestor’s life? Every state has a physical location that hosts a treasure trove of artifacts, documents, books, and more. The National Archives provides a list of state archives and don’t despair if you don’t […]

Do you have a strategy for researching or do you just start clicking around and hope for the best? One of the characteristics of an excellent genealogist is planning. Taking a few minutes to analyze a pedigree or document and come up with a research plan can turn an hour of research from ho-hum to […]