Courses

• Posted on February 25, 2014October 15, 2014
• by Shannon Bennett
• Leave a comment on Transcription!: Methodology, Part 1

Shannon Bennett, Student These last two Methodology, Part 1 modules nicely wrapped up this course. They covered resources for research as well as explanations of record sets. While I was familiar with most of these I did like the variety presented and I picked up a few new ways to look at information. Then I found the section on transcriptions, which made my day. This process is one that needs to be ingrained in every student of family history. Creating a correct transcription of a document  not only will help your research but the research of those who come after you as well. A lesson that is often learned the hard way by those starting out in the field. Many people feel that this is the easiest thing in the world to do. I am serious; all you are doing is copying words down right?  Well, not exactly. Plus, depending on the document, transcriptions can be very difficult. Within the section on transcription there was a list of basic rules, shown below. These guidelines clearly define what is important to have in your transcription. It isn’t just copying down words, it is making an accurate and faithful copy of an original work. The transcriptionist must be true to the original plus know how to insert their comments correctly. That in and of itself is a bit of meticulousness and an art form, both of which come only with practice. When I first started out I was confident that I knew…

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• Posted on February 18, 2014October 15, 2014
• by Shannon Bennett
• Leave a comment on Who’s Your Cousin?

Shannon Bennett, Student I am really excited that these Methodology, Part 1 modules have started to dig into the meat and potatoes of genealogy.  In them we are introduced to sources, evidence, and types of information. Subjects that serious genealogists or family historians need to understand to succeed in their research. However, the parts I found the most interesting where the explanations of terminology found in Module 4. Words associated with kinship, social status, and legal jargon not to mention surnames have changed over time. Confusion can result when modern viewpoints and definitions are put onto older documents, resulting in the misinterpretation of records and the assumption of associations that were in fact not correct. For instance, the word cousin. It could mean not only what we think of as a cousin, but could also mean niece, nephew, grandchild, or any degree of cousin you can think of. Cousin relatedness can get tricky and complicated. Many people just refuse to even try to understand what all the removes are and just refer to everyone as their cousin. Which, I can really understand. However, as researchers we need to know how people fit into our charts. Thankfully there was a nice chart showing an example tree with relationships included in this course. I am always on the lookout for ways to explain to my family all the cousin connections I make while researching. This chart is one that makes a lot of sense and I can apply to future discussions. The…

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• Posted on February 10, 2014October 15, 2014
• by Shannon Bennett
• 2 Comments on The Search is Afoot: Methodology Part 1

Shannon Bennett, Student Anyone who discovers a passion for family history also discovers an addiction that they can’t describe except to others who share it. Being able to describe what I want to do and why, is something that I have struggled with from time to time. I am sure you can relate. Which is why I was excited to see a description of exactly who I want to be written in black and white in the first pages of this course.   A quote from Ethel W. Williams book Know Your Ancestors: A Guide to Genealogical Research sums up nicely what a genealogist should be: Since I started researching my family I have at one time or another felt exactly like this passage.  Through this course, and the rest of my ongoing genealogical education, I hope that I can hone my skills and become a better detective, historian, sociologist, and anything else the field requires of me. These attributes, and the quote, are now hanging on a printout above my desk. A reminder, if you will, of what I want to become on this journey.   Working through the basic lessons was at times a bit tedious. However, since I had never, ever, done any genealogy on paper I had a great time making pedigree charts, filling out family group sheets, and creating a 3-ring notebook of information. Realizing the whole time that maybe, just maybe, I do rely on my computer software a little too much.   This…

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