Genealogy involves detective work and sound analysis; it should not involve guesswork. If you cannot find real proof, the definitive answer has to wait. Sometimes that means years of patience. A good genealogist never stops learning or developing their methods and techniques. When you do not stay sharp, you set yourself up to hit a brick wall. When that happens, mistakes become part of the “official” record. Our Genealogy Basics course is perfect for those who are ready to pursue genealogy but aren’t quite sure where to start. This course will introduce you to a fun, exciting, educational, provocative, and often moving experience.
* You have 4 weeks to complete this course from date of your enrollment.
Genealogy Basics course content
The Genealogy Basics course consists of 4 modules:
Genealogy Basics Module 1 Family Lineage Research
What is your reason for researching your family lineage? Module one will examine correct and efficient genealogy set conventions and protocols. At first, proper form will be the last thing you will be thinking about. You'll want to plunge head first into the details and find out as much as you can. However, this will often lead to making incorrect assumptions. This week we will look at how to analyze research and document with proven strategies.
- Why Research Your Family History
- Getting Familiar with the Basics
Genealogy Basics Module 2 Research Help
As you begin your research, you should plan to visit with your older living relatives and learn as much information as possible from them. Module two will examine common practices in documenting infor-mation from conversations, such as recording, taking notes, copying photographs and documents. Mod-ule two also shares popular software and research methods.
- Working With Living Relatives
- Genealogy Software
Genealogy Basics Module 3 What to Look For
Quite often, you find that you have accumulated quite a bit of paperwork. Module three will look at the importance of various documents and how to decide what is important information. As a general rule of thumb, you should have two independently related pieces of evidence in your possession that provide the same answer before you regard it as fact. Module three also looks at the most common genealogical resources found online and the popular features of each.
- Considering the "Paperwork"
- The Online Big Three and More
Genealogy Basics Module 4 Getting Into a Rhythm
Module four shares common mistakes to avoid, such as: confusing people with the same name or similar names, asserting incorrect "facts" about an individual's fate, and assigning children to the wrong parents. Also included in module four is tips on how to think outside the box, get creative and find your own style. Finally, module four includes terms associated with genealogy.
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Research in Action
- Genealogy Terms
After completing the Genealogy Basics course
After completing the Genealogy Basics course, you should be able to:
- Study how to perform family lineage research
- Explore the basics research methods
- Consider the paperwork and strategies involved with locating family data
- Study basic terminology and mistakes in genealogy research
Course duration
The Genealogy Basics course is 24 hours long, taught over 4 weeks.
