This is part of my ongoing series on
Educational Preparation for BCG Certification. It is not limited to those
interested in certification, but provides ideas for any interested genealogist.
There are links to the other articles in this series at the bottom of this post.
GPS Element #1: Conducting Reasonably Exhaustive Research
To understand “reasonably exhaustive research” you may want to
study what that phrase means, and all the record types it includes.
Informal study options:
1. Study
chapter 3 on “GPS Element 1: Thorough Research” in Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones (Arlington, VA:
National Genealogical Society, 2013).
- Note that “six criteria help us temper the exhaustive search to make it reasonable.” (pages 23-26).
- Don’t miss table 1 on page 25 that covers “Suggestions for Identifying Sources to Answer Genealogical Questions.”
2. Read
and study The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy by Val D.
Greenwood, 3rd edition (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co.,
2000). You
may have already done this early in your genealogy education, but it is an
excellent textbook on the basic sources genealogists use. It deserves a fresh
reading every year or two. If there are any records mentioned that you do not
have personal experience researching, then get to a local repository or archive
and spend some serious time with the records.
Another
reason to study this book:
The
Board for Certification of Genealogists uses rubrics to judge the seven elements of the application portfolio. The
rubric RR2 on page 3 reads:
“Research
covered commonly used sources relevant to the problem and extended to those
that might illuminate or challenge other findings in the time allowed; and it
proceeded in a logical sequence.2”
The footnote #2 states: “‘Commonly
used sources’ are defined here as those addressed
by
chapter titles in part 2 of Val D. Greenwood, The Researcher’s Guide
to American
Genealogy, 3rd edition (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000).”
You will want to be familiar with, and have experience working with, all the record types that will be included in the evaluation process. Note that the rubric specifies "sources relevant to the problem." You will use your knowledge and experience to determine which sources are relevant to your specific research question.
You will want to be familiar with, and have experience working with, all the record types that will be included in the evaluation process. Note that the rubric specifies "sources relevant to the problem." You will use your knowledge and experience to determine which sources are relevant to your specific research question.
3. Read the
following articles by Judy Kellar Fox on SpringBoard,
the BCG blog:
4. Read the following articles by Elizabeth Shown Mills on QuickTips, the blog at Evidence Explained.com:
5. Read the article "A Lesson in Reasonably Exhaustive Research" by Melissa A. Johnson, CG in the November 2015 edition of the NGS Monthly. Members of the National Genealogical Society can access the NGS Monthly at http://ngsmonthly.ngsgenealogy.org/
Reasonably Exhaustive Research: Quantity or Quality?
5. Read the article "A Lesson in Reasonably Exhaustive Research" by Melissa A. Johnson, CG in the November 2015 edition of the NGS Monthly. Members of the National Genealogical Society can access the NGS Monthly at http://ngsmonthly.ngsgenealogy.org/
Formal
study options:
6. Michael Hait, CG presented a webinar on “What is a ‘Reasonably Exhaustive Search?” for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. Since this presentation was given BCG has changed the first element of the GPS to be reasonably exhaustive “research” rather than “search.” The recorded version and handout are available to Legacy Family Tree Webinar subscribers at http://familytreewebinars.com/download.php?webinar_id=88
7. To hear an example of reasonably exhaustive research in a case study, you may want to order a CD of the lecture Reasonably Exhaustive Research: An Immigrant Case Study by F. Warren Bittner, CG, given at the FGS national conference in 2012.
8. In the
past many students took the NGS American Genealogy course (home-study or on CD)
to gain experience working with a wide range of genealogical sources. This
course is being replaced by a new series of online courses, American
Genealogical Studies. This series looks good, but is not yet complete and so does not cover all the records types necessary for reasonably exhaustive
research.
There
are other courses available, and I would recommend evaluating courses by the
thoroughness in the types of records they cover, and if they have assignments
to work with records in repositories and archives. Hands-on experience with the
records is a better teacher than just reading about each type of record.
9. If you
enjoy in-person instruction then I would recommend an intermediate genealogy
course at a genealogy institute. These courses generally cover all the records
needed to conduct reasonably exhaustive research, and also include some sessions
on methodology. Here are some options available in 2016:
- Intermediate Genealogy and Historical Studies course at the Institute for Genealogy & Historical Research (IGHR) -- Angela Packer McGhie (coordinator) http://samford.libguides.com/ighr-courses/ighr-cours
- Intermediate Genealogy course at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) 2016 -- Paula Stuart Warren, CG (coordinator) http://www.gripitt.org/?page_id=1195
Comments:
Feel free to comment on other resources you have found helpful in studying the Genealogical Proof Standard.
Note:
Links to other posts in this series:
Educational Preparation for BCG Certification
Studying the Genealogical Proof Standard
Educational Preparation for BCG Certification
Studying the Genealogical Proof Standard
No comments:
Post a Comment