Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Study Program for Genealogists

Several of my society colleagues have asked me "what do you suggest that I study to improve my genealogy knowledge and research skills."

My answer has always been a haphazard ticking off of several thick genealogy books, including Greenwood's Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, Mills' Professional Genealogy, and Mills' Evidence Explained, among others.

Elizabeth Shown Mills provided a 10-point blueprint that would provide solid grounding and enhanced skills for any genealogist. You can see the list on the Transitional Genealogist Forum mailing list here.

In my own case, I have every one of the books that Elizabeth recommends, except for The Source. I know our local library has it, so I'll start studying that too. Maybe it will help me write sources better? I'm involved in two study groups , one of which is using the Lichtman study method to discuss NGSQ articles, and the other is working through the Professional Genealogy book.

Perhaps the best aid for me has been the examples in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. In many articles, the case studies parallel my own research problems and can be used as a blueprint and provide research ideas for further research.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks Randy, gee, I am glad to realize I will not have to worry about what do I do next?? For a very very long. When I am not traveling to explore resources and visit cold basements of libraries cranking the old. Microfiche files, I could be blogging, updating data bases, figuring out my software, learning photoshop and cleaning up old photos, perserving old papers, but now I have 2-3 years of reading to digest and process.

Elyse said...

Thanks for the great suggestions Randy. Since most of my genealogical experiences are with the internet, I am always looking for easy ways for me to branch out into the traditional genealogical world.

I can't wait to get started! Thank you!