Basic Methodology

This introductory course will tackle the common questions: “Why trace our ancestors?”, “How far back can I go?” and “How do I proceed after I’ve talked to my family?” Participants will immediately start filling in their Family Group Record (or Individual Family Form) and their Pedigree Chart(or Ancestral Chart). The course takes a look at the mementos and documents found in our own homes which hold so much information, but which are often overlooked. This will be followed with a general review of the public resources available. The course concludes with a look at the frustrating and confusing situations you may encounter as you undertake your research. 

Please note that for students seeking the certificate, this course is a prerequisite for the remaining courses.

Methodology-Part 2: Organizing and Skill-Building has two underlying themes. One is to help you organize your paperwork and all the other documents or family material you will be collecting. The pedigree chart and the family group record are your "best friends" but there are many other suggested forms to keep track of your research, your correspondence, and all the material you collect as you become known as the family historian. 

The second theme continues from Methodology-Part 1: Getting Started with learning basic research skills. You need a solid foundation to apply to your personal research—research planning, evaluating sources and analyzing the information they contain. We will review the subjects of sources and information, and add more about the third factor, evidence. In Methodology-Part 1 you learned something about transcribing historic documents related to your research work. This will also continue with the skill of abstracting information from sources. 

This course will introduce the myriad ways that the Internet can support our family history research efforts. We begin with some ways to prepare before conducting our research and move forward identifying the many different categories of websites that are potentially useful to genealogists. We end with learning how to harness the power of the collaborative web and social media, and how we, as researchers, have the opportunity to help increase the amount of genealogical information available online. 

This Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting course has been designed to promote the quality of work that every family historian and genealogist should strive to achieve. Do not limit your level of excellence by assuming that this program is not relevant to your specific projects. You will already have studied the instructional materials required in your Basic Level Methodology courses. Enriching your skills, this course will allow you to implement the knowledge and training you will receive through the course reading materials, practical exercises and assignments to practice and improve your transcribing, abstracting and extracting capabilities. It is advised that you complete the Methodology - Part 1: Getting Started and Methodology - Part 2: Organizing and Skill-Building courses before beginning this one.

This course will teach students the transcribing, abstracting and extracting skills to enhance their genealogy research. Practicing these skills will form a large part of the course work. Examples will be provided for your reference in order to give you a model on which to base your developing skills. As well, citations have been included with the examples and are provided for reference purposes.

Please note: Our students are studying different courses or countries, many examples of documents from around the world are used to give as much experience of the differing formats and types of documents.

The Analysis & Skills Mentoring Program has been designed to promote quality work every family historian and genealogist should strive to achieve. Expand your level of excellence by assuming this program is relevant to your specific research.

This course allows you to implement the training you received throughout the Basic Level courses. There is compulsory reading. You studied all the instructional materials required for this course within your Basic Level Methodology courses. In Analysis and Skills-Part 1, you’ll practice and improve problem-solving capabilities and enrich your researching skills. If you’re a beginning level genealogist, complete all other Basic Level Methodology courses before starting this one. If you’ve been involved with genealogy for a few years, have a solid understanding of basic records and methodology, you can work on this course in conjunction with the other Basic Level courses. Please understand taking Analysis and Skills-Part 1 without the prerequisites could be difficult regardless of skill level due to regular referencing of previous material.

The assignments will be reviewed by an instructor. Instructional feedback will be provided during two individual consultation appointments intended to help you succeed. An integral part of this program involves discussing your completed assignments, guidance, and advice regarding the appropriateness and quality of your work.

Please be aware this course is set up in a different format than most of our other courses. Although this is a 26-week course, it means you have up to six months from the start date to submit all the assignments, and the private one-on-one consultations. Many students complete this course in two months or less. Consider your schedule. Then block out time on your calendar to work towards completing the course’s required reading, assignments, attend the Virtual Meetings, and consultations with an instructor. You’re provided with a Course Study Plan to help you keep on track in completing the course in the allotted time.