Studying the Genealogical Proof Standard

I am going to start my new series on "Educational Preparation for BCG Certification" by saying that these posts are not just for those interested in certification. Anyone who wants to learn about becoming a better genealogist could benefit.

For the past ten years I have focused on educating  myself in the field of genealogy. It is a fascinating field where there is always more to learn. In this series we will explore all kinds of educational options, from self-study to webinars to genealogy institutes, and everything in between.

We will start with the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), and then address each element of the GPS and the certification portfolio in future posts.

The Genealogical Proof Standard, as described on the Board for Certification of Genealogists website, consists of five elements:

• reasonably exhaustive research;
• complete, accurate citations to the source or sources of each information item;
• tests—through processes of analysis and correlation—of all sources, information items, and evidence;
• resolution of conflicts among evidence items; and
• a soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion.

This blog post focus on options for studying the GPS as a whole.

Informal study options:

1. Study how each element of the GPS contributes to the credibility of a conclusion on the Board for Certification of Genealogists website.

2. Study Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones (Arlington, VA: National Genealogical Socitey, 2013). When I say study, that is what I mean. This is not a book that you just read. It is a book that you read, ponder, discuss, and complete all of the exercises provided. This is one of the best educational options available, and all for $30.00 and a dedication of time. Tom Jones provides practical exercises for understanding and applying each of the elements of the GPS. Get out your highlighter, star the key concepts in each chapter, and challenge yourself to complete each and every one of the exercises.

The paperback book is available from the National Genealogical Society or Amazon, and the Kindle version is available here.

3. Study the book Genealogy Standards produced by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2014). Again, I do not mean just read the book. This one also requires study. This book is essentially a collection of best practices in the field of genealogy. You may need to look up terms in the glossary in the back of the book, as definitions may be slightly different than those used in other fields. You may choose to evaluate your own research process, and add or refine steps as described in the standards. If you apply for certification these are the standards you will be judged by, so be sure you understand each of them, and incorporate them into your work habits.

For further study consider the following:

4. Read Genealogical Proof Standard: Building a Solid Case by Christine Rose, 4^th edition revised (San Jose, California: CR Publications, 2014). Available from CR Publications.  

5. Read Genealogical Standards of Evidence: A Guide for Family Historians by Brenda Dougall Merriman (Toronto, Canada: Dundurn Press, 2010). Available on Amazon.

6. Listen to an interview with Christine Rose on the Genealogical Proof Standard in the Learning Center at FamilySearch.org.

7. Read the article “The Genealogical Proof Standard: How Simple Can It Be?” by Thomas W. Jones from OnBoard, 16 (September 2010). 

8. Read the article "The Genealogical Proof Standard in Practice" by Melissa A. Johnson, CG in the January 2016 edition of the NGS Monthly. Members of the National Genealogical Society can access the NGS Monthly at http://ngsmonthly.ngsgenealogy.org/

9. Listen to “The Genealogical Proof Standard: What It Is and What It Is Not,” a lecture presented by Thomas W. Jones at the 2011 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, in Springfield, Illinois. The recording is available through Fleetwood Onsite Conference Recording.

Formal study options:

10. If you would like to study the concepts in Mastering Genealogical Proof  with others, then consider joining a GenProof Study Group. These groups study the book chapter by chapter and then meet online to discuss the concepts and exercises. See more information at  GenProof Study Groups or to get on the waiting list for a future group.

11. Another option is to watch the recorded version of Dear Myrtle's "Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Group" archived on YouTube. Here are the links for MGP1 (2013) and MGP2 (2014). 

12. In 2015 Thomas W. Jones taught a course called "Determining Kinship Reliably with the Genealogical Proof Standard" at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. This course may be repeated in the future, and if so, I will post about it. 


Comments:
Feel free to comment on other resources you have found helpful in studying the Genealogical Proof Standard.

Note:

These are just ideas for you to add to your individual education plan as you choose. They are NOT meant to be a checklist where you have to read/study/participate in every option. 

Appreciation: 
I would like to thank my friend Debra Hoffman, who has agreed to be my editor for this blog series.

Links to other posts in this series:
Educational Preparation for BCG Certification  
Studying the Genealogical Proof Standard

Conducting Reasonably Exhaustive Research

Studying the Art of Citation

Studying Evidence Analysis, Part 1

Educational Preparation for BCG Certification

I recently completed an application for certification through the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG). I had been thinking about writing a few blog posts on my educational preparation (now that I have a little more free time), and this week BCG began including educational preparation as part of the evaluation process.

The announcement by the Board for Certification of Genealogists on January 19, 2016 includes:

"BCG today released a 2016 edition of the BCG Application Guide. The new guide implements two changes for initial applicants approved by the board last May. Two clarifications address common problems in new portfolios.

The most significant change will see applicants evaluated on their genealogically related educational activities. Initial applicants have long been asked to describe the activities that helped them prepare for certification but only now will this information be evaluated. The new practice is meant to stress the importance of development activities as these have been statistically shown to increase an applicant’s chances of attaining certification."

The BCG Application Guide is available at http://www.bcgcertification.org/brochures/BCGAppGuide2016.pdf

I will write a series of blog posts that include formal educational activities, such as conferences and classes, as well as informal educational activities such as books, webinars and study groups. I will address educational opportunities for the following topics:

• Understanding the Genealogical Proof Standard
• Conducting reasonably exhaustive research
• Documenting research
• Studying Evidence Analylsis, part 1
• Studying Evidence Analysis, part 2
• Preparing a written conclusion
• Skills necessary to prepare a portfolio, including:
• Transcripts, abstracts, and research plans 
• Kinship determination and writing a biographical sketch
• Writing a proof argument or a case study
• Preparing research reports

I will create hotlinks from this page to each of the new blog posts, so there will be a reference to the complete set of posts. Each piece will include educational options that I have found to be useful, and others options that I am aware of, but may not have participated in personally. I hope to stay on a schedule of posting twice a week, so I should be finished with my topics in six weeks. I will invite others to comment on the posts and add educational opportunities for each topic that I may have missed. I think it will be a fun journey.

If you have the book Genealogy Standards you will want to reference Standards # 82. 

Angela