By Sandy Fackler, PLCGS. Student with The National Institute for Genealogical Studies

I knew little about the aspects of photography when I registered for Photography: Clues Pictures Hold, Editing, Digitizing and Various Projects in December. Now, I want to recommend this course to anyone who has a collection of old or recent photographs because I believe you’ll learn at least 3 things to help you whether it is how to digitize your photos, how to identify people through facial characteristics, o

Shannon Bennett, Student with The National Institute for Genealogical Studies 

                                                             Shelves Of Files by Stuart Miles/courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

I am now diving into the second part of the course Methodology to give me the groundwork for my genealogy education here at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. This course builds on the basics learned from Methodology Part 1, hopefully, so that the student will come out as a better

Once you set up your small business it is not enough to simply sit back and wait for clients to come to you. In order to keep the business viable and successful, you must focus your attention on its overall operation and growth. This is where a Business Plan can help.

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Setting up and Reviewing Your Business Plan

The first process in developing a business plan is strategic planning. The process of developing and updating your plan has many advantages.

• It helps to clarify your thinking ab

Shannon Bennett, Student with The National Institute for Genealogical Studies

I came to the world of genealogy just over three years ago. That is not to say that I was not interested for years before that, but that is when the stars finally aligned and lead me to this path. My little girl dream of participating in the “grown-up” world of family storytelling (aka genealogy) had come true.

                                   Genealogical Tree. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washi

Please join us in a round of applause to CONGRATULATE our newest graduates. 

When, why, and how to grow your genealogy business are important questions to tackle. These questions may always be in the back of your mind, but unless you formally address them periodically, you may never take the necessary actions, or you may find your business growing in a way you do not like or are not prepared for. Some small business owners are content, and rightly so, with the size of their business, which suits them perfectly. Growing your business is not a requirement.

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The

Once we verify the type of source we are looking at we need to evaluate the information found in that source. Then, after all of the information, we have obtained from our sources has been evaluated and analyzed, it becomes evidence to help answer a research question.

According to the Evidence Analysis Process Map, information is based on the informant’s knowledge of the event and whether that knowledge is primary, secondary, or undetermined.

Used with permission. Angela Rodesky.

Primary informatio

Shannon Bennett, Student with The National Institute for Genealogical Studies

These last two Methodology, Part 1 modules nicely wrapped up this course. They covered resources for research as well as explanations of record sets. While I was familiar with most of these I did like the variety presented and I picked up a few new ways to look at information.

                                                           Old Letters and Quill by Simon Howden/Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Then I found the

By Sandy Fackler, PLCGS (student) with The National Institute for Genealogical Studies

When I first started doing genealogy I collected names, dates, and places. I was a genealogist. Years later I became a family historian. Besides those names, dates and places, I wanted to know the what, when, where, and how. I needed the meat on the bones.

 Soldiers in formation on the grounds of Camp Sherman. NPS Photo. https://www.nps.gov/articles/camp-sherman-ohio.htm

The transition was not a deliberate course

Shannon Bennett, Student

Anyone who discovers a passion for family history also discovers an addiction that they can’t describe except to others who share it. Being able to describe what I want to do and why, is something that I have struggled with from time to time. I am sure you can relate. Which is why I was excited to see a description of exactly who I want to be written in black and white in the first pages of this course.

A quote from Ethel W. Williams book Know Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ge

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Evidence is what we use to answer our research questions and establish conclusions. Once we have evaluated and analyzed the data we find in various sources we need to determine if the information helps to answer our research question. If it does, we use it as evidence to answer our question and support our conclusion. Evidence is classified as direct, indirect, or negative, and each type can be used to draw conclusions.

Direct evidence is that which completely answers the question. For example, i

I am still trying to catch up with Brian Charles maclachlan, in ref,to the Maclachlan clan. My great grand father was Andrew Cunningham Maclachlan, born in 1861 east Greenock Renfrewshire Scotland. He passed away in 1925 in New London Ct.

Shannon Bennett, Student

On January 9^th I gave my virtual presentation for Lecturing Skills Including Preparation. I was very nervous. More nervous than I have been in a long time, mainly because I knew I wouldn’t be able to see my audience.  That to me was the biggest hurdle. Not being able to gauge my audience’s reactions.

                                                             Image courtesy of Rasmus Thomsen/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In the middle of the course we were given the assignment of

By Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD.

If your ancestor was an auswanderer – one who left the area now called Germany – with a group of other like-minded individuals, he/she was an emigrant and might be found in any number of locations.

You are probably already familiar with the phenomenon of “push-pull” when it comes to emigration/immigration. North America was hardly the only option for those seeking a better life. For some, it was a “stop along the way,” giving them a chance to perhaps make some money or

Shannon Bennett, Student

In the introduction to the course Lecturing Skills Including Preparation,  author Thomas MacEntee writes how he became the genealogy speaker he is today.  Guess what? There was no magic formula, just a lot of hard work.  I figured this was the case, but you know that I was secretly hoping there would be an inkling of a formula.  Well, I will just have to keep reading and see if I can figure out my own personal formula to becoming a successful speaker.

The first two modules

Sources are the foundation of our research. They are the places from which we get information that provides evidence to form a conclusion. Examples of sources include documents/records, books, photographs, artifacts, websites, newspapers, video or audio recorded interviews, and people. Sources are classified by type; original, derivative, or authored.

Used with permission. Angela Rodesky.

Original sources are considered the first interaction of a record. For example, the first recording of a birth

Shannon Bennett, Student

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies course Lecturing Skills Including Preparation written by Thomas MacEntee caught my eye when I was at the FGS conference in Ft. Wayne, Indiana this past August.  Speaking to genealogy friendly audiences is something that I have thought about from time to time.  However, as a relatively new-comer to the genealogy world (and a person who tends to overplan before she jumps in), I was really unsure of how to get started as a spea

Shannon Bennett, Student with The National Institute for Genealogical Studies

I am really excited that these Methodology, Part 1 modules have started to dig into the meat and potatoes of genealogy.  In them we are introduced to sources, evidence, and types of information. Subjects that serious genealogists or family historians need to understand to succeed in their research. However, the parts I found the most interesting where the explanations of terminology found in Module 4.