Genealogy for the Weekend

Uk Flag On Rough White Paper by criminalatt/Courtesy of Freedigitalimages.net

Start the weekend off right! Spend some time discussing genealogy in a Virtual Meeting. The following are the meetings for this weekend. For the complete June schedule see our previous blog post.

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Saturday, June 25th at 10:00 AM EDT – All English courses with Kirsty Gray
Join Kirsty to ask questions about the English record courses and/or your research.

Time zones:
Saturday, June 25th – 10:00 AM Eastern; 9:00 AM Central; 7:00 AM Pacific; 3:00 PM in London, England;
Sunday, June 26th – Midnight in Sydney, Australia

MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/english/
(NOTE: No user name or password required. Please type in your first and last name; then click “Enter as a Guest”.)

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Sunday, June 26th at 2:00 PM EDT – All Analysis and Skills Mentoring Program – GENERAL with Gena Philibert-Ortega
This Virtual Meeting is appropriate for students registered in the Analysis and Skills Mentoring courses. Students registered in the Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting, Extracting, Skill-Building: Breaking Down Brick Walls, Skill-Building: Evidence Analysis, and Skill-Building: Nuts & Bolts of Reporting are also welcome to join. Topics for discussion include course procedure, evidence analysis, Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), citations, ethics, timelines, transcriptions, abstractions, extractions, proof summaries and more.

Time zones:
Sunday, June 26th – 2:00 PM Eastern; 1:00 PM Central; 11:00 AM Pacific; 7:00 PM in London, England;
Monday, June 27th – 4:00 AM in Sydney, Australia

MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/asgeneral/
(NOTE: No user name or password required. Please type in your first and last name; then click “Enter as a Guest”.)

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Sunday, June 26th at 7:00 PM EDT – Analysis and Skills Mentoring Program-Part 2 – ARTICLE REVIEW with Gena Philibert-Ortega
This Virtual Meeting is more appropriate for students registered in this course. Please follow the directions found in your course material and read the article “Organizing Meager Evidence to Reveal Lineages: An Irish Example—Geddes of Tyrone” by Thomas W. Jones (NGSQ Vol. 89, No.2, June, 2001).

Time zones:
Sunday, June 26th – 7:00 PM Eastern; 6:00 PM Central; 4:00 PM Pacific;
Monday, June 27th – Midnight in London, England; 9:00 AM in Sydney, Australia

MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/asarticle2/
(NOTE: No user name or password required. Please type in your first and last name; then click “Enter as a Guest”.)

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Sunday, June 26th at 8:30 PM EDT – All American courses with Gena Philibert-Ortega
Join Gena to ask questions about the American record courses and/or your research.

Time zones:
Sunday, June 26th – 8:30 PM Eastern; 7:30 PM Central; 5:30 PM Pacific;
Monday, June 27th – 1:30 AM in London, England; 10:30 AM in Sydney, Australia

MEETING LOCATION: http://genealogicalstudies.adobeconnect.com/american/
(NOTE: No user name or password required. Please type in your first and last name; then click “Enter as a Guest”.)

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The Business of Learning: Methodology 6

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student

Well, I have finally reached it. The last methodology course in the certificate program. Methodology Part 6: Professional Preparation and Practice concentrates on professional development and further educational opportunities. This is a topic I am always looking into, so I was very excited to jump into the information provided.

Unlike many professions, there really is not a standard way a person becomes a professional genealogist. Sure, you can take programs like the one from The National Institute for Genealogical Studies and others. You could go for certification or accreditation. Maybe you decide after 30 years of researching your own family tree that you now want to try your hand at someone else’s. However, no matter your path, genealogists are left to learning about being a professional on their own.

Anytime I am offered insight from a course, webinar, lecture, etc. that gives me a clue to what it means to be a professional (or just bring myself up to that level) I am all ears. You know what? You should be too. Even if you never “hang your shingle” you should still strive to be as professional as possible in your research. It will make your descendants very, very happy. Trust me.

Through the course I learned about:

Setting up a business
Managing clients
Writing reports
Teaching others

These are all things that I do, nearly every day, and I still was able to pick up new pointers. Especially in the aspect of working for others (aka client work). Even if your “clients” are friends or family (and they may or may not be paying you), the ideas and skills taught in this course were outstanding and will be beneficial. In fact, I have already started to use them.

But, if you are like me, and have no business skills but want to make a living at your hobby then you will want to take this course purely for Module 2. It walks you through everything you need to consider when setting up your business. I found the part on office planning (in the home or out of) to be very insightful. Along with setting up your work area and marketing yourself. There is so much that goes into creating a business from scratch!

Most importantly is the section on ethics. Being the best, and most ethical, genealogist is always my goal. I hope that it is yours too. The last module in the course covers the Association for Professional Genealogists code of ethics and a discussion of what we should all be doing to cover our bases. It is a section that we should all take to heart.

Overall, Methodology Part 6: Professional Preparation and Practice had excellent information, even if you never take money for genealogy work. It is good to know what is out there and how to stay on top of the game. Plus, if you are not a lecturer it will give you a lot of insight into all the preparation we go through to bring you our topics. Hours and hours of planning.

Well, off to the next course! See you online!

2015 Savings Are Almost Gone

Happy New Year 2016 In Vintage Style by IceHawk33/Courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

It’s time to make your New Year’s resolutions! What will you accomplish this year with your genealogy? What do you need to learn to accomplish those goals?

Our December sale provides you the opportunity to register for those courses you’ve wanted to take at great discounts.

20% off one single package of your choice (Savings of up to $650)
50% off one single course of your choice (Savings of up to $80)

To claim your discount use the following codes at checkout:

Holiday20 for one single package of your choice

Holiday50 for one single course of your choice

Hurry! Like 2015, this offer ends at midnight on December 31st. You have only 1 more day to save!

My Favorite Course: Research: American World War II Ancestors

It’s difficult for me to choose just one course as my favorite. I have a unique position among those who will write about their favorite courses on this blog. I was a student of The National Institute for Genealogical Studies before I started my work here. Currently, I read through the courses as they are turned in by the instructors. This allows me to see the latest courses and resources before they are added to the website.

Because I am so familiar with the 200+ courses The National Institute offers, how can I choose just one? So I decided to write this post about a course that students may not be as familiar with. Research: American World War II Ancestors- Part 1 and Part 2.

Woman machinist, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif . Flickr the Commons. Library of Congress.

These courses, authored by World War II researcher and author Jennifer Holik, provide students with a look at all facets of researching World War II and its effect on Americans, on the battlefield and the home front.

The description for these two courses are:

There are many records that were created during World War I that are similar in World War II. Learn what led to the start of World War II, how the U.S. became involved and the military records available. They did not all burn in the 1973 fire! This course will move from military records for the Navy, Coast Guard and Marines to civilian jobs including the USO, Merchant Marines and others. You will learn how to research the service of your military ancestors through numerous sources

In Research: American World War II Ancestors-Part 2 we begin with records from the Army, Army Air Corps, Marines and National Guard and explore military and other records that can assist you in conducting World War II era research. We explore life on the home front and the role of women in World War II including their service in the military. A case study gives ideas for piecing the life of you World War II soldier’s story together.

Do you have ancestors and family living in the United States of America during the World War II years? Then you owe it to yourself to learn more about their lives. Check out Research: American World War II Ancestors- Part 1 and Part 2 today.

My Favorite Course: Career Development – Choosing a Niche

Chilling Time For Writing The Plan by punsayaporn/Courtesy freedigitalphotos.net

By John Boeren, Student

The first thing I did when I decided to become a professional genealogist, was to register for a membership of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG). Quickly, I found out that (ongoing) education and certification are extremely important to the (international) professional genealogy business.

It worried me at first: would I be able to get some kind of degree in genealogy? In the Netherlands professional genealogy is still a rare phenomenon. Genealogy is very popular, but most people consider it a nice hobby and nothing more. The consequence of this line of thought is that we have lots of courses for beginners, but we lack education for Dutch professional genealogists.

After a while I started to see the challenge. I was convinced that I wanted to take courses to improve both my research and business skills. So I searched the Internet for information on genealogical studies. I found a couple in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. After reading all the available information and reviews on these courses, I was still doubting between two. In the end I chose for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Why? Mainly, because I was very excited about the Professional Development Certificate, a rather new program that “will benefit those who wish to pursue a career in genealogy, create a genealogy business or to augment their income potential by adding niche areas to their business plan.” After a good conversation with Louise St. Denis I registered for this certificate.

My first course was called Business Skills: Creating a Genealogy Business. It was scheduled for the 2nd of March. From the very first beginning, I liked the course. I read the course materials and made the assignments. In less then two weeks I finished all the modules and passed the exam. I was even disappointed that I did not register for a second course, because I had to wait more than two weeks before I could start with a new course!

At this moment I have finished six courses, including the research course Dutch Ancestors in the Netherlands. It is difficult to say already which course I liked best, there are still 34 courses to come! However, if I had to choose one right now, it would be Business Skills: Career Development – Choosing a Niche (part 1 and 2). The course made me think about my own genealogy business: what kind of income streams would I like to add? Would I like to be a writer of articles, columns or blogposts? Would I like to publish books, or be an editor? Could I be a forensic genealogist, a family archivist, a conference planner or a house historian? While I was answering the questions in the assignments, I realized that I have already done a lot of these things before but that I never made a clear choice. That is a thought I really have to give some extra attention.

After completing the course, I drew the conclusion that there are many options for a genealogist. It is still too early to say what path in genealogy world I will take. To my opinion the title of the course should be changed into Finding a Niche. Why? Because I think it is rather difficult to really choose a niche. You need time to find out what your skills are, what you like best in genealogy. A specialty is something you need to develop. And sometimes a niche just comes on your way. I think it is more a matter of finding a niche than choosing one.

There is one more thing I really want to recommend, especially to new students. Take part in the virtual meetings! These meetings give you the opportunity to ask about difficult topics, to have conversations about genealogy in different countries and to speak about your own experiences. But it is also a nice way to meet teachers and students of the institute.

Bio:

John Boeren. Used with permission.

John Boeren is a genealogist, researcher and writer, who is living in Tilburg, the Netherlands. He holds a master’s degree in Dutch Law (Constitutional Law and History of Law) and studied at the School for Archivists in The Hague. For almost ten years he worked for the Regional Archives in Tilburg, mainly as a manager of the Department for Research and Education Services. Nowadays he works as a part-time consultant for local governments.

He has been involved with genealogy since 1988. In his private research he focuses on the families of his four grandparents. His main research project is a one-place study on Loon op Zand, a smaller village in the Tilburg area.

In January 2015 he started his own genealogy business, called Antecedentia. He conducts genealogical research in commission (in the Netherlands and the Flemish part of Belgium), gives lectures, teaches beginners courses and publishes in books and journals.

John is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), of the Dutch Central Bureau for Genealogy (CBG), of the Dutch Genealogical Association (NGV), and of local historical societies. He serves as vice-president of one of the NGV chapters.