Shannon Bennett, Student

Another Methodology  course done, another four to go! Whew, I will make it because you will cheer me on right? This one was, once again, packed full of information to help a researcher build a good foundation for their genealogical research. I know the information taught here will help me and others who take the class be better in their genealogical endeavors.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The theme of organization was carried on throughout the course

Some Vital Record Alternatives 

You’re familiar with birth, marriage, and death records but what are some other record types that can help you discover information when the vital records can’t be found? 

• Probate Records. If you know where a person died, check to see if there is a probate record.  Do not just assume there is no record-check. Even if there is no will, there can still be a probate file. One part of the file that can be vital is the “Final Distribution.”   This will tell you who the h

Shannon Bennett, Student

What’s the biggest complaint among serious hobby or professional genealogist? Do you know?  Well, from the comments I have seen and heard, that would be source citations. More particularly, the lack of them. Are you guilty of this, because if so when you take Methodology, Part 2 and get to module 6 you will find out why citing your sources is important.

Pile Of Books by Surachai/courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

On the first page of the module you learn why citing your sour

Client Proposals  

Many genealogy researchers charge for their services on an hourly basis.  This is simple to administer and easy for the client to understand.  However, some clients are uncomfortable with an open-ended expense.  One way to deal with this is to tell the client an upfront estimate of the number of hours expected for a given project.  As an alternative, some genealogists simple quote their clients a flat fee, which is fine as long as the anticipated work fits with the project quot

Shannon Bennett, Student

Modules 3 and 4 of Methodology, Part 2 focus on the types of forms to use during your research. I love forms. Seriously, love them. Of course I can be a little OCD about them, but that is another story. Forms, checklists, to-do lists, guides, etc. are a great way to provide road maps to your research. They keep you going forward, not lost in limbo with no direction. Think of them as genealogical compasses.

 Note Book And Compass by nuttakit/ courtesy of freedigitalphotos.n

Creating Your Research Reports  

The process of writing a research report is a great way to capture your analysis and collect your thoughts.  Although your report does not have to be a formal document, you will want to include your name, the date of the report, and the research question.   

Sometimes we find that we have completed an exhaustive search, but perhaps misunderstood a key point in a record, missed a relevant piece of data, or had not properly analyzed all of the data as a whole.  Seein

Mapping Your Ancestors 

Geography is an important element in your family history research. Did your ancestor contend with mountains, valleys, or waterways? The best way to answer these questions and potentially uncover new research avenues is to take a look at maps, particularly those contemporary to the time periods with which you are researching.

• Physical maps are most helpful in determining a person's location relative to their surroundings, including boundaries, roadways, railways, waterways,

Brief History of Photography

The “idea” of photography dates back to the 10th century “camera obscura” and “pinhole camera” described by the Arab scientist, Abu Ali al-Hasan (or Alhzaen), author of The Book of Optics. The camera obscura was a large dark box with a hole in one end which could produce an inverted image opposite it. It is the forerunner of today’s cameras. All it lacked was a lens and means of fixing the image chemically.  

It wasn’t until 1816 that a Frenchman, Joseph Nicéphore Niép

Do You Understand What You are Reading?

As you begin searching for mentions of your ancestor in the newspaper, you may begin to wonder if you are reading a foreign language. The vernacular or abbreviations that you are reading are the result of the newspaper world, or the general colloquialism of the time.

Abbreviations may be a little more prevalent than you anticipated as a result of the limited typeface of the publisher. Some of these abbreviations may have been encountered in other records inc

Social Security Death Index  

You can view the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) online via many genealogy websites including Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, GenealogyBank, Fold3, and Findmypast.  A person who died before 1962 is not likely to be on the SSDI.  If the date of a person’s death is known, and that person is not on the SSDI, it is likely the family never filed for the death benefit.  

From the SSDI, you can glean information such as dates of birth and death; place of last benefit; Social

US Newspapers 

Newspapers offer a window to the past. They are the real-life recordings of our ancestors’ history. Unlike history books, family histories written years later, or memoirs, newspapers were recording the news at the time it was actually happening.

One of the reasons that many researchers do not investigate what newspapers may be available is because they often assume that searching the newspaper requires going page by page and issue by issue. This is not always the case; there is a me

 Marketing Management  

Constantly be on the lookout for great marketing strategies, even if the businesses are not within the realm of genealogy.  Some of the major elements of marketing are: 

• Promotion/Displays 
• Public Relations 
• Pricing 
• Newsletters/Surveys 
• Advertising  
• Networking  
• Social Media 

Hopefully, your business plan includes a marketing plan.  But that is just a start.  As time goes on, it is important to re-evaluate your marketing strategies as part of your overall strategic planning proc

US Death Indexes

There are many different death indexes online. Please note that most indexes do not include every year. Remember that a name in an index is not proof that this is the researcher’s person! Often the person you are seeking is not the first to have this name and won’t be the last! Never assume the indexed name is your person and stop your research at that point.  

Always be creative in finding various ways to search for what you might be seeking. Go to the FamilySearch website and ch

By Shannon Bennett, Student

Have you ever thought about how many points of view there are within one family story? Each person who was there heard, saw, felt, or interpreted the situation differently. Just ask your family about an event from when you were a child. I bet that while similar, they are all different.

Image courtesy of xedos4/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

These next two modules (Modules 3 and 4 of Demystifying Culture & Folklore ) touched on aspects of this phenomena.  Course author Jean Wilco

Sales Management

Marketing goes hand in hand with sales, as it provides a way to get the word out about your services and products, and a way to attract prospective clients. In a small business, however, the owner is often the only salesperson, marketing director, and grunt, along with everything else!  

Many small businesses lack a sales strategy. Periodically, you should review your sales strategy. Here is a list of some sales activities: 

     1. identify prospects

     2. prioritize leads

     3.

Handling and Sorting

Older photographs are fragile and easily damaged. The best way to reduce damage is to not handle photographs at all. Since that is not always practical, gloves should be worn when they are handled. Gloves prevent transferring dirt and skin oils on the delicate images. When handling images, put on the gloves and hold the prints by their edges.  

If the photo is a cabinet card or a carte de visite, do not remove the photo from the cardstock on which they are mounted. Those vinta

Research Logs 101

Are you using a research log? The first step in reviewing the research you have completed to-date is to refer to your research log. Unfortunately, when many of us start our genealogy journey, keeping track of our findings is likely the last thing on our mind. 

Typically, a research log is created for each family group, but depending on how you prefer to work, you may want to create one for each person. A research log can help you to quickly see what sources you have already consu

Vital records are the listings of births, marriage, and deaths recorded for a given town, county or state. The vital records that we seek are a relatively new record, in many instances not coming into existence until the 1900s.

When searching for births marriages, or deaths, the first place that we look is the officially recorded records at the town, county, or state level. One of the problems with these records is that as you go from the more local governments to the state, you will quickly disc

By Shannon Bennett, Student with The National Institute for Genealogical Studies

The more we dig into our past the more we come across documents in varying states. Some are pristine and new while others are decades old and crumbling. Which is why I was happy to see these first two modules in Methodology, Part 2covered transcriptions (more in depth this time) and abstracts.

                                                              “Period Letters” by Simon Howden/courtesy of freedigitalphotos.n

From Poland to America: The Story of Joseph Greenland