Intermediate Methodology

Optional Print Course Material: Methodology 3 - More Strategies

*Course materials will only be sent to students who are registered in the course. 

The objective of this course is to teach you how to manage your genealogical project. Methodology - Part 3: More Strategies will consist of an intensive study of the types of information and how to gather it. We shall look at how to organize this information, the research process, and even your genealogical office. Strategies for planning your project and for using original records complete the course.

Optional Print Course Material: Methodology  4 - Effective Searching and Recording

*Course materials will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

The objective of this course is to teach you how to effectively search and record your information. Methodology-Part 4: Effective Searching and Recording deals with what to look for in the main sources and how to record it. We then discuss the many methods of synthesizing your research results for presentation and preservation.

Note: This course requires compulsory materials to be ordered.

1. Board for Certification of Genealogists, Genealogy Standards, 2nd edition revised (Nashville, Tennessee: Ancestry, 2021).
2. Jones, Thomas W., Mastering Genealogical Proof (Arlington, Virginia: National Genealogical Society, 2013).

Optional Print Course Material: Methodology 5 – How To Prove It

*Course materials will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

The objective of this course is to teach you how to make an effective research plan and how to establish proof in your research. It builds on the skills learned during the basic and other intermediate-level Methodology courses. This course considers in depth the many possibilities and pitfalls involved in proving your family history in a professional manner. This comprehensive treatment prepares the student for the research process and writing out the research results and conclusion of analysis to establish proof.

NOTE: This course requires compulsory textbooks to be ordered.

1. Genealogy Standards, 2nd Edition by Board for Certification of Genealogists
2. Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones

Optional Print Course Material: Analysis and Skills Mentoring - Part 2

*Course materials will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

The Analysis and Skills Mentoring 2 is designed to promote the quality of the work every family historian and genealogist alike should strive to achieve. This course is a continuation of the teaching, testing and consulting method. The subjects addressed cover the Intermediate Level studies. Complete all prerequisites before starting AS2. An integral part of this practical program includes discussing your completed assignments. You'll receive personalized advice and help toward improving your skills.

26-week course. Though you can take six months to submit all the assignments and complete the private one-on-one consultations, this course takes an average of 36-40 hours of hands-on work. We give extra time to book consultation appointments, allowing for flexible scheduling. Realistically, you can finish this course in 8 weeks like the other courses you've taken. Feel free to slow down and take your time as well.

Important notice: The ME-205 Latin for Genealogists course is a mandatory Methodology course and a prerequisite to ME-302 - Palaeography: Reading and Understanding Historical Documents as of 1 January 2025. All students who have not finished the full Intermediate Methodology Certificate by 12-31-24 will need to add this course to your program. For those who have completed Basic and Intermediate Methodology Certificate, the course will be an elective option.

Optional Print Course Material: Latin for Genealogists

*Course materials will only be sent to students who are registered in the course. 

Latin is a complex language. Why learn a “dead” language? Genealogists experience Latin through historical documents. The surprise to most learning a language not used conversationally is how much Latin is used still today in business, medical, and legal documents.

Though you’ll learn what you need for historical research, enjoy how Latin enhances and helps you understand business, legal, medical, and scientific terminology in today’s modern world, too. One more benefit, Latin is the foundational language to many still spoken. Understanding basic terms means your sleuthing skills in Latin-based languages like French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. There are others in the Romance Languages. But you’ll be closer to solving brick walls with this arrow in your quiver.

This course provides guidance and introduces  basic written Latin, as well as an understanding of sentence structure. A number of word guides are provided and aid in the comprehension of how Latin words are used sentences. Example entries of Latin documents from different countries are shown along with transcriptions and translations. Be sure to study these  samples for familiarity.