I had the pleasure of presenting a Power Hour at RootsTech with two of my colleagues, Julie Stoddard AG, and Lisa Stokes AG. We split our presentation into three parts: the Benefits of Accreditation, an Overview of Accreditation, and Preparing for Accreditation. I’m sharing a brief outline here and linking to the ICAPGen website where appropriate. Our slides and syllabus are attached at the end of this article. Diana presenting, Lisa and Julie seated at table Benefits of Accreditation I started off our class by discussing three benefits to earning the Accredited Genealogist credential through ICAPGen (The International Commission for...
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 to buy our Research Like a Pro eCourse at the Black Friday price of $69. Links https://www.icapgen.org/ Guide to Applying for an Accredited Genealogist ® Credential at ICAPGen.org New Testing Regions for 2019 at ICAPGen.org Diana’s blog posts about her accreditation experience at FamilyLocket.com Research Like...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss what professional genealogists can do for you. We discuss hiring researchers to solve difficult problems in your family tree, transcribing and translating documents, writing family history books, researching on-site, heritage trips, etc. We also discuss how to choose a professional genealogist and what you should expect. Let’s get started! Links Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) APG website – search for a professional by specialties APG website – search for a professional by geographic specialty Independent Researchers Available for Hire at the National Archives Credentialing Organizations: International Commission for the Accreditation of...
Have you ever had an idea and wondered if it would work? Several months ago at the beginning of the summer of 2017 I started writing the “Research Like a Pro” blog posts with the hope of starting a study group of genealogists, each researching their own families. Several people signed up for the inaugural Research Like a Pro study group and in September we began. Meeting twice a month for a total of six sessions, each group member did a research project from start to finish. Some discovered important information breaking through a long standing brick wall and others...
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 BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy. Included in the conference was a track of classes by The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists, shortened to ICAPGen. The presenters clearly outlined the process to earning a credential and an idea began to form...
ICAPGen Networking Luncheon at the BYU Conference 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 classes about becoming an accredited genealogist. She made a friend who then became a study buddy throughout the process. Later that year, the conference planners contacted us to come to the conference as official bloggers. We were thrilled at...
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 Innovator Summit portion of RootsTech 2017. Straight out of business school, Liz found herself a rookie in a fast growing company named Oracle. She had to learn fast and soon found herself heading Oracle University. Years later, intrigued by the idea of rookie smarts, Liz...
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 am I in the process? Why would you want to explore accreditation? Good questions that I’ll try to answer. January of 2016 I had been waffling about whether to really go for accreditation or not. When I took the plunge and wrote a blog post...
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. Popular genetic genealogist, CeCe Moore will be giving the Saturday keynote address and she is certain to entertain and educate. CeCe’s bio from the FamilySearch blog shows just just how qualified she is to teach about this fascinating subject. Moore, who’s been on the leading edge of...
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 brought up ethics agreements from numerous genealogy organizations, including ICAPGen, The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists. I was glad to learn that the final step in becoming an Accredited Genealogist is signing an ethics agreement. November is here and so is my...
