International Institute of Genealogical Studies

LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION

International Institute of Genealogical Studies - LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION

Monthly Archives: September 2019

Credits

How are Credits Assigned? 

Many students taking courses from The National Institute for Genealogical Studies will do so for personal enjoyment or to enhance their genealogical knowledge. For these students, earning course credits may not be important.  

For students earning a Certificate in Genealogical Studies, course credits are required.  

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Each course is worth a specific number of credits, typically one credit per course. To receive a credit for a course you must meet the following requirements:  

  • Be enrolled in the course. 
  • Submit assignments and exams posted in the course materials. 
  • Submit the final exam and assignments by the due date.  
  • Receive a grade of no less than a D on the final exam and assignments.  
  • Within six weeks of the class end date, your grade and credits will appear in your student Briefcase. Click My Briefcase to access your grades and credits for all the course you have taken.  
  • If you would like a paper confirmation of your grades and credits, please request this after the course end date. A $5.00 fee is charged for all hard copy transcripts. Payment may be made by cheque, PayPal or credit card. 

Newspapers and Your Local News

Local News 

Over the years, local news found in hometown newspapers has run the gambit, from the very serious to news that isn’t necessarily hard-core journalism.

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Some of the articles you might find relevant to your genealogy includes: 

  • Family News – Newspapers of the 1800s feature more family news in them than what we find today, with the exception of smaller city newspapers. These articles provide insight into the character and sometimes even interactions between family members.
  • Voter Lists and Tax Lists – Voting and taxation happened more frequently than census enumerations and they can help you determine when your ancestors arrived or moved out of an area. In the case of tax lists, they may help you determine if your ancestor owned land.
  • Jury Lists – Jury lists are not always posted for every trial or group of trials in a given community. In some counties, the jury for the given term was published in the newspaper. The town from which the jurors came from might also be listed.
  • Social News and Events – One thing that appears to be common in most newspapers is the comings and goings of the residents of the town. Learning who is gone to visit family or who is returning from vacation adds to your ancestral timeline.
  • Fraternal Organization News and Events – Our ancestors often joined fraternal organizations. They may have joined one because of their religious beliefs or as a result of their occupation. If you know that your ancestor was involved with the temperance movement in Pennsylvania, then it is possible that he was a member of either the International Order of Good Templars or the Sons of  Temperance, which were both temperance societies.

With our “US: Newspaper Records” course, you will learn more about including newspapers in your research.

Your Grades

 How do I get my grades? 

Within six weeks of the course end date, your grade will appear in your student Briefcase. Click My Briefcase to access your grades for all the courses you have taken.  

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The National Institute for Genealogical Studies instructors use a standard scale to grade exams and assignments: 

A+ 

A 

A- 

B+ 

B 

B- 

C+ 

C 

C- 

D+ 

D 

D- 

F 

 

If you would like a paper confirmation of your grade and credits, please request this after your course completion date. A $5.00 fee is required for all hard copy transcripts. Payment by Cheque, PayPal or credit card is accepted.   

Identifying Military Uniforms in Photographs

Military Uniforms in Photographs 

To correctly identify military uniforms in photographs, it is necessary to read reference books and related websites about the particular branch of the military in its specific country during the correct historical time period. There are absolutely no rules about how a military designed its uniforms over time, although there are a few observations that can be made about military uniforms in general.  

Photography: Clues Pictures Hold, Editing, Digitizing and Various Projects

A country did not always automatically give uniforms to its military personnel. In some cases, a soldier or sailor had to supply his own uniform, as was done in the case of the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War. Uniforms, like other clothing during the early years of photography, were often handed down from father to son.  

More often than not, the higher the rank of the individual, the more ornate the uniform was. The uniform almost always included headwear, so the style of the hat or helmet is a further indication of rank. The insignias worn on uniforms provide further information about the individual. 

It’s easy to miss clues when viewing the photograph of an ancestor in military uniform. With our “Photography: Clues Pictures Hold, Editing, Digitizing and Various Projects” course you will learn more about locating and identifying some of those clues within your photographs.    

Course Registration

How do I register for a course?  

Simply click Subscribe and complete the form. Make sure all information is complete and accurate then click the Submit button. You will receive a message confirming receipt of your registration.  

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When your course registration fee is received, your student Briefcase will be activated.  You will receive an email confirming your course registration and the start date for your courses.  

You may register for as many courses as your wish. Your Student Login (email address and password) will allow you to access your Briefcase which contains your course information. You can access your student Briefcase by selecting Briefcase at the top menu toolbar and then My Briefcase.