Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the second portfolio element for certification: development activities. In this element, you list the genealogy-related activities that helped you prepare for certification and share how they helped you. We discuss several educational opportunities and how they help you learn more about genealogy standards, records, and methodology. Links Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) – website Educational Activities – Board for Certification of Genealogists website with list and links to all the institutes and academic institutions that provide genealogy courses BCG Application Guide (2019) BCG Rubrics (2019) Previous episodes about certification: RLP...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about what to do after you have finished all the RLP with DNA steps. Robin Wirthlin, genetic genealogist, joins our discussion. If you haven’t reached a proven conclusion, you’ll want to start on the next phase of our research. Choose a sub-objective to work on next – maybe you have a hypothesis to test and see if you can eliminate. We also discuss DNA blogs, podcasts, classes, institute courses, and books to help you continue learning about genetic genealogy. Links Research Like a Pro with DNA – What’s Next? by Nicole at...
Are you ready for some in-depth learning this summer? Three big genealogical educational opportunities have opened up to you by going virtual. If you’ve always wanted to attend an institute or a national genealogy conference, here is your chance. With no travel or hotel costs and the comfort of watching from home, this is an excellent opportunity for all genealogists of any level of experience. National Genealogical Society (NGS) Conference NGS was scheduled for May 20-23 in Salt Lake City. With the COVID-19 closures, the conference organizers have opted to go virtual. On Wednesday, May 20th, NGS 2020 LIVE! will...
How can genealogists know if they are using DNA evidence correctly to prove conclusions? What is required to meet the Genealogical Proof Standard when incorporating DNA evidence? Since the 2nd Edition of Genealogy Standards was published last year, I have been studying the new standards relating to DNA evidence, Standards 51-57. Then at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) last month, I had the opportunity to learn from Karen Stanbary and her team of experienced instructors on this subject. The course was titled “Meeting Standards Using DNA Evidence — Research Strategies,” with the following description: This all-new course is...
How often do you get the opportunity to learn from a master genealogist? In the genealogy world we can gain our education in several ways. Most common are watching webinars and videos, reading books and articles, listening to podcasts and recordings of presentations, and attending conferences and institutes. If we’re lucky, we can learn from someone who is willing to share a lifetime of research experience. My week at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) gave me that opportunity. When the courses for 2020 were first announced in early 2019, I eagerly perused the offerings. Seeing that Barbara Vines...
Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about genealogy education opportunities, including attending genealogy conferences like RootsTech. Our guest, Amberly Beck, talks about her first experience at RootsTech in Salt Lake City and how Tom Jones’ classes impacted her. She also shares about her experience speaking at RootsTech London and some of the classes she liked there. After recording the episode, Amberly shared a great thought with us. She said, “Sometimes we love researching so much that we don’t want to give up any of our research time to genealogy education. But every minute of research time we give...
After completing a research like a pro with DNA project, you may not have come to a proven conclusion. Or perhaps you finished your objective and are ready to move forward with something else. What’s next? How do you continue to make progress on your goal or choose a new goal? Here are several suggestions. Continue Your Research and Writing Start another iteration of the same objective If you didn’t come to a proven conclusion after writing your research report, start a new project with the same objective. You will have a new starting point and known facts. Perhaps your...
Have you heard of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and their annual conference? The mission statement of FGS is “The Federation of Genealogical Societies empowers the genealogical and family history community, especially its societies and organizations, by advocating for the preservation and access of records, and providing resources that enable genealogical organizations to succeed in pursuing their missions.” Like other family history conferences, FGS holds classes on a wide array of topics taught by professional genealogists. This year the conference is being held in Washington, D.C. I received a grant to attend the conference from the Center for Family History and Genealogy...
How would you like to take a deep dive into your research area? Have been working in the same localities for so long that you’re out of ideas for what to do next? You might want to consider attending a genealogy institute to open your mind to new possibilities. I attended the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) last week and was treated to five days of learning from expert southern researcher, J. Mark Lowe. The class title was “Advanced Southern Research and Resources,” and after 15 years of researching in the south, I was hoping for a new way...
Have you made New Year’s resolutions in the past and come February 1st, they are discarded and forgotten? Maybe you know there’s a better way to research your family but you’re stuck in the same routine. Is your pile of paper getting deeper and deeper? Don’t worry – I’ve been there and I’m going to give you some ideas on how you can start now to make some changes that will make a difference in your genealogy life. Set Reasonable Goals The key word here is reasonable. I regularly teach about organizing research and I hear stories of people with...
