Want to effectively capture your research no matter the audience? Writing effective research reports can be a challenge. This course will provide instruction and hands-on experience creating an efficient and effective report. A team of professional genealogists will share their expertise in technical writing, evidence analysis, incorporating visual elements, organizing material, time-saving strategies, and documentation. Examples of a variety of reporting formats covering simple to complex research problems from a variety of professional perspectives will be shared and available to review during the course. Participants will learn both by evaluating provided reports and writing a research report during the week. Students will work on practice exercises in class and complete writing assignments.

 

Earning the Accredited Genealogist® credential with the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) provides opportunities to demonstrate research proficiency in a chosen region. Benefits include strengthened research skills, confidence in performing client work, and respect in the genealogy community.

This interactive, hands-on course will cover the requirements for each ICAPGen accreditation step and give valuable information needed for successful testing. Homework assignments will provide essential skill-building activities. Peer review using ICAPGen rubrics will provide students with vital feedback. A four-hour practice Final Project and a personalized meeting with an AG mentor knowledgeable in the chosen region of accreditation will cap off the course. Discover your accreditation readiness as you learn more about the testing process and receive peer and mentor feedback on your work.

This online workshop-style course is intended for those who already have experience with writing a genealogical narrative. Based on the concepts of “Bring ‘Em Back to Life: Writing the Stories of Our Ancestors,” this interactive follow-on class will feature advanced instruction, discussion, and planned writing time. The focus will be on writing ancestors’ stories in narrative style, rather than in journal or report style.

Students will work on one piece of their own writing during the course, whether it be a stand-alone story or a portion of a larger story. Students will submit up to five pages of writing to the instructors during the process and will receive detailed feedback.

In Weeks 1–9, the class will be composed of two parts. The first part will focus on instruction in advanced skills in genealogical story writing in an interactive format. The second part will offer students the chance for dedicated writing time as a group. During the second part, an instructor will be available in a breakout room for any students who have questions or are seeking individual support. In Week 10, students will have the chance to share a portion of their writing with the group.

Genealogy work is more diversified than ever, and today’s professionals earn income through a wide mix of services, platforms, and audiences. Genealogy has many markets, not one, and this course looks at how those segments operate and how they can be combined into sustainable income.

Most sessions will be Q&A with working professionals about how the work functions, how fees are set, and where new opportunities are emerging. We’ll also cover the business side, including contracts, communication, marketing, management, and money, and how to align strengths, audiences, and offerings into a solid revenue mix. Professional considerations such as ethics, copyright, privacy, confidentiality, and how to communicate sensitive or unexpected findings will be woven throughout, since reputation and client trust are central to this work.

This hands-on course provides the opportunity for students to apply DNA analysis skills to document one ancestral line back to a second great-grandparent couple. The faculty offers practical step-by-step case examples. The schedule includes ample opportunity for the students to practice and apply the skills to their own research. Private, one-on-one consultation time with faculty is available.

At course completion, students will leave with:
• A source-cited lineage, including proof of biological parentage that meets Genealogy Standards
• A graphic descendant tree
• A unique, student-generated “Golden Nuggets” Quicksheet
The course teaches integration of documentary and genetic evidence to achieve proof. It is best to learn the methodology on an easier case. Students select one ancestral line in advance. A good choice would be a well-documented line from a DNA test taker to a second great-grandparent couple that is free of unknown parentage and pedigree collapse. Optimally, the student will use autosomal test results from second and third cousins on each of the great-grandparents lines to filter and sort DNA match lists. The cousins can be serendipitous matches or those that result from targeted testing.

Understanding the physical and social landscapes where our ancestors lived can be crucial to solving problems of identity, kinship, and origin. This hands-on, advanced course, for students with experience in land records and platting, offers critical skills and practical strategies for constructing community networks around elusive ancestors. We’ll explore the integration of advanced land platting techniques with modern mapping technologies and historical maps to place ancestors in a specific location, trace the development of the neighborhoods in which they lived, and uncover insights into historical relationships and migration patterns. In-class examples and exercises will also demonstrate triangulation techniques for determining approximate location from partial data and the use of reconstructed ancestral networks to identify key associates, disambiguate same-name people, and locate “missing” individuals. 

In this course, you will learn how to trace your French-Canadian family history back to your pioneer ancestors and their origins in France. You do not need to know French to have amazing success discovering your French-Canadian ancestry. The rich historical records from the colony of New France to modern-day Quebec are the envy of the genealogical world, and the most valuable records are already digitized, indexed, and available online. You will find your ancestors’ stories in Catholic parish registers, notarial acts, census population schedules, and other lesser- known records. You will envision your French-Canadian ancestors in their everyday life within the social, religious, economic, political, and cultural contexts of their time. You might even discover that you have a fur trader, Daughter of the King, or First Nations ancestor in your family tree. Join us to accelerate the discovery of your French-Canadian heritage!