It is very satisfying and fun to find your family and ancestors, however it is also extremely time-consuming.
You might want to hire someone to help you and save time.
You may feel more confident in the research performed by a professional genealogist.
But, even here keep an open mind and question anything suspicious.
When you visit your library or other federal buildings that might house genealogy records, ask everyone you see about a reputable genealogist.
I ran into a cousin who had several years experience researching families and I asked him for help.
Since he is not a certified genealogist, he didn't charge much and he got me started and I added a bunch of his relatives to the tree.
If you have internet access, you will find thousands of professional genealogists, some for every state in America and some for every country in the world.
The National Genealogical Society offers courses and lessons online for a fee.
Brigham Young University and the University of Washington offer Certificate programs.
College credit is given for these courses but it is not a college degree.
Genealogy.
com has online courses as well as other places you will find online.
Experience is the best teacher, so even though your genealogist has taken courses he should prove to you his experience in researching what you need.
A person may call himself a professional genealogist, but he or she may vary in their credentials and expertise.
Be careful you do not just look into a fee-based research service that hires out any old person.
A genealogist earning a certificate must show his ability to research, his experience, the societies he belongs to and he must submit a case study that documents and explains linkages among individuals that cover at least three ancestral generations.
A certified genealogist must renew his certificate every 5 years.
Good genealogy demands proof.
Be sure your professional spends enough time to assure accurate results, cites his sources, and comes to a reasonable conclusion with all the research.
It would be great if he could break down the "brick wall" that it seems every family researcher has.
The Board for Certification of Genealogists has set the standards for competence and ethics for genealogists since 1964.
The genealogist must pass rigorous examinations before becoming accredited.
You have the guarantee that the Board for certification will examine any question you have about your professional and the fee that he charges.
Ask to see that certificate.
Try out your genealogist with just a few family names and see how he does.
Trust your instincts and you will know whether or not to trust him.
I only have two ancestors from England, but with all those different counties and churches, I may hire someone to look into those ancestors.
I think if I had Native American or even African-American ancestors, I would think about hiring someone.
You might want to hire someone to help you and save time.
You may feel more confident in the research performed by a professional genealogist.
But, even here keep an open mind and question anything suspicious.
When you visit your library or other federal buildings that might house genealogy records, ask everyone you see about a reputable genealogist.
I ran into a cousin who had several years experience researching families and I asked him for help.
Since he is not a certified genealogist, he didn't charge much and he got me started and I added a bunch of his relatives to the tree.
If you have internet access, you will find thousands of professional genealogists, some for every state in America and some for every country in the world.
The National Genealogical Society offers courses and lessons online for a fee.
Brigham Young University and the University of Washington offer Certificate programs.
College credit is given for these courses but it is not a college degree.
Genealogy.
com has online courses as well as other places you will find online.
Experience is the best teacher, so even though your genealogist has taken courses he should prove to you his experience in researching what you need.
A person may call himself a professional genealogist, but he or she may vary in their credentials and expertise.
Be careful you do not just look into a fee-based research service that hires out any old person.
A genealogist earning a certificate must show his ability to research, his experience, the societies he belongs to and he must submit a case study that documents and explains linkages among individuals that cover at least three ancestral generations.
A certified genealogist must renew his certificate every 5 years.
Good genealogy demands proof.
Be sure your professional spends enough time to assure accurate results, cites his sources, and comes to a reasonable conclusion with all the research.
It would be great if he could break down the "brick wall" that it seems every family researcher has.
The Board for Certification of Genealogists has set the standards for competence and ethics for genealogists since 1964.
The genealogist must pass rigorous examinations before becoming accredited.
You have the guarantee that the Board for certification will examine any question you have about your professional and the fee that he charges.
Ask to see that certificate.
Try out your genealogist with just a few family names and see how he does.
Trust your instincts and you will know whether or not to trust him.
I only have two ancestors from England, but with all those different counties and churches, I may hire someone to look into those ancestors.
I think if I had Native American or even African-American ancestors, I would think about hiring someone.