Tag Archives: Certification

My Path to Certification – Issue No. 8

Happy New Year! I have decided to skip the year in review/new goals post this year. My priority this year is to work on my BCG portfolio. Finding the time to work on the portfolio with an increasingly packed work schedule is going to be difficult this spring. But the bills come first!

I spent a good portion of my winter vacation working on my Case Study (BCG #6). This last week I discovered a new piece of evidence. I was pursuing the GPS (Genealogical Proof Standard)—conducting reasonably exhaustive research—when I discovered the document. I have always been a big fan of collateral research, even as a young genealogist. I discovered early on that if you cannot find the information you desire from the records left by a direct ancestor, try the siblings. I was tracking down a potential sibling when I hit pay-dirt.

Of course, discovering the document boosted my confidence because I did find it, BUT I started questioning what type of evidence it was. You see, in the Case Study, there are rules. The presentation must use one of three techniques:

(a) assembling indirect or negative evidence, or a combination of the two
(b) resolving a conflict between two or more items of direct evidence
(c) resolving conflict between direct evidence and indirect or negative evidence

I am using the first method, using indirect or negative evidence to prove a relationship. Needless to say, I panicked. Did I just find direct evidence that answered my research question? If so, I have just spent months and hours of research on a project that would have to be scrapped?!? Plus, I would have to find a new problem in my research that would fit the criteria of the project.

As part of the BCG process, applicants are invited to join a list serve. It’s a place where questions can be asked, and certified genealogists will attempt to answer the questions. However, the CGs are not allowed to teach to the test. Often their answers are vague, or they will direct the questioner to re-read the Genealogy Standards, rubrics, or other documents which should enlighten nervous applicants. In my case, I was instructed to review the definitions of indirect and direct evidence.

Indirect evidence, as defined in the Genealogy Standards, is “information items that seem to address and answer a research question only when combined.” In contrast, direct evidence is “information that seems to address a research questions and answer it by itself.”

Dr. Thomas W. Jones in his book Mastering Genealogical Proof defines the two types of evidence:

“Direct evidence is an information item that answers a research question by itself.”

“Indirect evidence is a set of two or more information items that suggest an answer to a research questions only when they are combined.”

There is also a great QuickLesson on the EE (Evidence Explained) website explaining and demonstrating the differences between the three types of evidence.

QuickLesson 13: Classes of Evidence—Direct, Indirect & Negative

The good news is that I am still working on my original Case Study. The better news is that I now know where and when one of my direct ancestors died. I even found his grave-site on FindAGrave. If I hadn’t doggedly pursued the GPS, I would never have located this ancestor. He wasn’t where anyone thought he was when he died.

Since my last post, I have started Jill Morelli, CG®’s Certification Discussion Group. The group meets for seven weeks and discusses each requirement of the portfolio in depth. Having a certified genealogist running the discussion is great! Participants gain access to Jill’s insights into the process as well as to samples from actual passing portfolios. If you are interested, there is a waiting list so contact Jill.

Good luck and happy hunting!

©2018 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2018/01/16/my-path-to-certification-issue-no-8/

My Path to Certification – Issue No. 7

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Another month gone…not much writing done, but some serious research accomplished. Hopefully over the next month (and holidays), I will find a stretch of time to do some serious writing.

California State Capital, Sacramento, 2017

I’ve been chasing information for my proof argument instead of my KDP this month. Additionally, I am looking for a good document to transcribe for Part 4: Document Work (Applicant-Supplied Document). Two years ago at Jamboree, when the BCG had a table in the vendor hall with portfolios, I was able to talk to several certified genealogists at length. One of my takeaways was that most portfolios do not feature cases from the western United States. My family waited until the 20th century to migrate to California, providing me with little reason to learn much of California’s rich history and how to access the documents. However, I live and work in California. While volunteering at the library the past few years, I have helped many patrons with California-rich family histories. California has an estimated population of almost 40 million people, ranking her as the most populous state in the nation. Currently, only 15 certified genealogists live in California. There are fewer than 250 certified genealogists around the world, the vast majority from the United States. Hopefully, in the next few years, the number of certified genealogists in California will increase. While I would like to count myself in this group, I know several outstanding genealogists in California who are also working toward this goal as well.

For my document work, I want to highlight someone local, plus learn a little more about the people who founded my city/county. I live in a suburb of Sacramento. We have several small and old cemeteries, the resting places of some well-known historical figures. Elitha (Donner) McCoon Wilder was one of the surviving children of the tragic Donner Party. Our school district named an elementary school for her. Alexander H. Willard is believed to be last surviving member of Lewis and Clark’s expedition when he died in 1865. He, too, ended up in my town, buried next to another elementary school and the roller skating rink. Many of our early citizens (of European ancestry) came west during the gold rush and stayed on as farmers and ranchers.

William McGraw, c1870

One of the tasks I “completed” this month was tracing the ownership of several parcels of land for my proof argument. I used a combination of original land grants, county land deeds, and a county plat book to determine when my ancestor acquired and sold a particular 40 acre plot of land. Understanding the United States government’s system of townships and ranges and how land was divided and distributed during the 19th century is essential for genealogists. For example [Note: this is not the problem I am using for my proof argument], my ancestor William McGraw married a woman named Martha Higgins. I have no direct evidence of her parents’ identities. However, William purchased a parcel a land adjoining a parcel owned by Jonathan Higgins around the time of his marriage to Martha. The location of the land and the Higgins surname provide indirect evidence of a connection between William, Martha and Jonathan. This evidence would prompt me to research Jonathan Higgins further and determine if there is a connection between him and Martha. Without knowing the physical proximity of these people to one another, I might miss a valuable clue to their relationships and identities. Being a visual person, I also like to look at maps (and draw my own) to see how close people lived to one another.

Another project I have been working on this month is obtaining permission from living persons. Any information that I include about living people in any of the part of my portfolio, I must obtain permission from them. For example, I potentially wish to include some of my DNA research in one of the papers. I must obtain permission from everyone whose DNA I reference. Additionally, one element of the portfolio is a client report. Permission from the client must also be granted before inclusion in the portfolio.

Happy Holidays and happy hunting!

My Path to Certification – Issue No. 4

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Today is August 1st. I promised to submit my application to the BCG on August 1st. Well, I completed the application last Friday and put it in the mail. Hopefully, it arrived in Washington, D.C., about today. I can’t take it back at this point so I should consider myself officially on the clock. I feel a mixture of emotions from excitement to panic. I wonder if I can possibly pull this off in the next year. We shall see!

After taking the plunge and finally submitting the application, I worked on some other aspects of my plan. I don’t really have a plan, per se, past knowing that I have a year to submit my portfolio. I know some people who schedule what element they will work on each month. I do want to do a major portion of work on my KDP first so that I can put it aside and come back to it later. I feel such a large piece of writing needs to sit so I can go back and make improvements with a clearer vision. I can only do that if I walk away at some point. Right now I’m try to figure out how to continue researching but transition from research to writing. One strategy I am trying is—to just sit with a pad of paper and pencil and write with a purpose. For example, chose one section of the KDP to write about. No fact-checking or writing footnotes. Just write. I can go back later and correct the specifics and add the footnotes.

I received a great recommendation for a book this week—On Writing Well by William Zinsser. The 30th anniversary edition includes a chapter on writing family history (which I haven’t read yet). I believe the book is helping my brain make this transition from researching to putting pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard). Writing is such an important part of the portfolio (or the job of being a genealogist). Learning to write well should be an integral part of any genealogist’s education plan. I have read my share of absolutely boring family histories. I do not want to be one of those family history writers who strings a bunch of facts with footnotes together to make a narrative. I want to breathe life into my ancestors! Finding a balance between sound technical genealogical writing and entertaining family narrative is my goal. A couple take-a-ways from the book so far:

Use action verbs and consistent verb tenses – These are both lessons I learned during my time at BU and ProGen, and I cannot stress them enough. I hear them repeated at genealogy seminars and conventions continually. It’s great to read a non-genealogy related person give the same advice.
Writing is hard work. It requires practice just like any other craft. Find a writer whose style you admire. Read the journals—NEHGS, NGS, TAG, etc.—to find a fellow genealogist whose style you like.
Use a dictionary and thesaurus – I have a beat-up copy of Roget’s Thesaurus that I have used since my college days. I still use it!
De-clutter your words – If you can get the point across with fewer words, do it!

In the last week, besides my trip to the Family History Library to copy microfilm, I spent part of my weekend downloading journal articles (and not genealogy ones!) In order to add historical context and knowledge to my narrative, I must learn about the social, historical, and economic factors that may have influenced my ancestors lives. Sites like JSTOR and Internet Archive provide access to historical texts. I downloaded articles on the early history of my county as well as contemporary books that were written for people interested in migrating to the region where my ancestors lived. With these, for example, I gained insight on diseases that may have affected my ancestors or construction projects (railroads, canals) that impacted their lives.

Genealogical Standard 57: Background information—“Assembled research results provide sufficient background information for readers to understand…what [an item] means in context of…place and time…[which] may include concepts from economics, ethnic studies, genetics, geography, government, history, law, religion, sociology, and other fields.”

I finished my sweater this weekend. Now, I’m working on completing another “almost-done” project—a sweater I started for my son last fall. He has grown a couple inches since then so hopefully he will get some use out of it!

My teacher hat goes back on this week. School starts next week so I must parcel out my time and prioritize my various projects more efficiently. Until next time!