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How to Get Your Money’s Worth When You Hire a Genealogist

1 August 2018 By Genlighten 2 Comments

Genealogy Report
So, you’re thinking about hiring a genealogist? Here’s one simple tip that will go a long way toward making sure that you get a good return on your investment: choose a genealogist who knows how to write a quality report.

Let me explain what I mean by that.

There are No Guarantees

First, it’s important to understand there are no guarantees when it comes to genealogy research results. In other words, there are no guarantees that even the best of genealogists will be able to figure out who your fourth-great-grandparents were. Or where in Ireland your great-grandmother was born. Or when and where your grandparents married. Anyone who promises a specific research result has either done the research already or is over promising. Sometimes key information goes unrecorded and sometimes recorded information gets lost. Although I never like to say never, there simply may not be a way to find good answers to your research questions.

It’s All About the Search

So, to avoid frustration and disappointment, don’t hire someone to find answers. Instead, hire someone to search for answers. There’s a subtle, but very important, difference. A genealogist has no control over what information can be found. But, a genealogist does have control over how a search is conducted and how a report is written.

When you hire a genealogist, you are not paying for a specific result. You are paying for the time, effort, and expertise it takes to conduct a search and report back on it. If you want to get your money’s worth, look for a genealogist who can carry out a well-planned, meticulous search, and provide a carefully-written report to document it.

The Value is in the Report

No matter how a search turns out, it’s the report that determines whether or not you’ve gotten value for your dollars. Here’s why:

Let’s say you hire someone to look into your Irish ancestry and three weeks later you’re floating on air when you learn that your great-great grandmother was born in Carrick-on-Shannon in Leitrim County. Time to book a flight! Right? Well, maybe. How do you know the baptismal record you now have in your hands is for your ancestor? Answer? The report. That document should provide very specific details about how the genealogist arrived at the conclusion that your ancestor was born in that particular place. The record, itself, might be interesting, but the value is in the well-reasoned argument that convincingly connects it to your family tree.

And, on the flip side, what if word comes back that ten hours of research has uncovered no leads in the search for your great-grandmother’s birth place? Has your money been wasted? Not if the search has been carefully documented. Knowing what records have been checked, what information was found (or not found), what the results suggest, and what the next research steps might be, is a valuable way to move forward.

If you’re not familiar with genealogy reports, take a look at the high-quality samples available on the Board for Certification of Genealogists website (Genealogical Work Samples) or The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists website (Samples). A good report generally states the research question, summarizes starting information, lists sources that were consulted, details information that was found (or not found), analyzes that information as it relates to the research question, and suggests ideas for further research.

How to Choose a Capable Genealogist

How can you know that the researcher you hire will carry out meaningful research and provide a quality report? One way is to hire a certified (Board for Certification of Genealogists) or an accredited (The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists) genealogist. Researchers who have earned the right to put CG® or AG® after their names have demonstrated their ability to perform at a professional level and agreed to adhere to a Code of Ethics (BCG) or Professional Standards (ICAPGen). The reports they author should be of the highest quality.

That said, there are many capable genealogists who aren’t credentialed. One indication that a person is striving to produce quality work is evidence of participation in one or more of the  educational programs available within the genealogy community. These include university degree programs, certificate programs, and institutes. (See the National Genealogical Society’s page on Becoming a Professional Genealogist for a sample list.)

And, finally, you can learn a lot about a researcher’s skills by reviewing work samples to see if they meet your idea of what a finished product should be.

When you’re browsing Genlighten’s network of researchers, check the profile pages to learn about providers’ education and research experience. And, click on the “Portfolio” tabs to see if they’ve uploaded sample reports. If not, feel free to use the “Ask A Question First” button to ask that they do.

A Note on Copyright

One last, but important, thing. When you hire a genealogist, you should expect to pay for the time that it takes to craft the final report. But, unless you agree beforehand that the report will be a “work for hire,” the genealogist will hold the copyright. (For a detailed explanation, see Copyright and the genealogy report by Judy G. Russell on The Legal Genealogist.) So, before you go ahead with a project, make sure to work out the details. For example, you might ask whether or not you will have permission to copy and share the final report.

In Summary

So, what can you do to make sure that the money you spend for genealogy research services will  be well spent? Hire a genealogist who has demonstrated the ability to write a high-quality report. A researcher who has the ability to do that will likely have all of the other skills necessary for a successful outcome to your project–whether or not your research question is answered.

Warmly,

Cyndy
Genlighten Co-founder

P.S. I created the blog post image from a report that I wrote for a ProGen assignment. I don’t consider myself a report-writing expert, but I’m learning!

 

Filed Under: Genealogy How-Tos, Research Tips

What Flooring Experts Taught Me about Hiring a Genealogist

19 July 2018 By cyndy Leave a Comment

FlooringAs you read this story, think about how it relates to hiring a genealogist …

We’ve been helping my husband’s mom do some work on her house and new flooring was part of the plan. So, we stopped by a major home improvement store to ask for a quick quote. You know, to kind of sort of get a feel for whether we wanted tile and/or vinyl and/or carpet, and to figure out how much the project might cost.

Well, we soon learned that it doesn’t work that way. Before the associates could be of help, they needed to have someone come out to take measurements and count closets and doorways and the like. And they needed to know what type of flooring we wanted where–ideally with specific product codes. And then there were also questions like whether or not we wanted new baseboard installed.

To us, it was just a matter of saying, “We’d love for you to put new flooring in the house. How much will it cost and how long will it take?”

To the professional, a proposal and quote required detailed information. Tile? Wood? Vinyl? Carpet? How big are the rooms? How many doors and closets to work around? How many toilets to be lifted? Will existing flooring need to come up? If so, will asbestos be an issue?

It works the same with genealogy.

As a client, it’s so easy to say, “I would love for you to find out where my grandfather went after he disappeared. Do you think you could? Maybe before my mother’s birthday in October? And, how much do you think it would cost?”

But, a research provider would need a lot more information before trying to answer those questions.

Here are five things you can do to prepare to reach out to a professional genealogist. If you’re already researching your family history, you’ll probably be able to check things off the list quickly. If you’re not (or if the tasks seem overwhelming), then just do the best you can to pull the information together in whatever format is comfortable for you. Just know that a project will take more time (and thus cost more money) if a genealogist needs to build a foundation from which to work.

  1.  Update the family tree. If you have an online tree or an offline database, make sure all names, dates, and places are filled in to the best of your knowledge. Focus on the individual or couple of interest, but don’t overlook children, parents, and siblings.
  2. Provide sources for information on the tree. If this hasn’t been done on your tree in a formal way, make an informal list. Make sure to note sources that have been checked that didn’t yield relevant information, too.
  3. Gather background information. Jot down any information that’s not on the tree that might provide clues for the research. If there are family members who might know something of interest, consider contacting them.
  4. Prepare to share scanned documents. If you have digital copies of any of the sources, especially family records that aren’t easily accessible online, upload them to the online tree (unless they should be kept private) or put them in a folder that you can easily share through a service like Dropbox or Google.
  5. Write a one-paragraph summary that names the person (or persons),  place (or places), and time period. Then, finish this sentence: “I would like to know … ” Here’s an example: My great-grandfather, Jonas Smith, who lived in New Miami, Butler County, Ohio, disappeared while my grandmother was in high school, probably 1932-1936. I would like to know what happened to him.

With those five steps done, you’re ready to reach out to find just the right genealogist for your project. I have some tips for that, too, of course, but I’ll save them for another post.

Oh, and by the way, we went with vinyl plank in a light color that reminds us of the local beach, and we’re really happy with the decision!

Warmly,

Cyndy
Genlighten Co-founder

_____

Stock image (#50165073) obtained through DepositPhotos.com.

Filed Under: Genealogy How-Tos Tagged With: Hiring a Genealogist

Save Money: Hire a Genlighten Provider to Copy a Pension File

17 July 2018 By cyndy Leave a Comment

I love Civil War pension files. I believe I have four of them–no make that five–and the things I’ve learned from them have been invaluable. In one deposition, my ggg-grandfather said that he was born in the “wilderness,” that his father was illiterate, and that his mother could read and write but little. He suggested that even if they had made note of his birth in a family bible, it would have been lost in a household fire when he was small.1 Where else could I find that kind of detail in his own words?

I obtained the records I have back when black and white photocopying was the only option. We’ve come a long way since then. Now the National Archives allows patrons to make digital copies of the pension files now and looking at a color images is almost as good as viewing the documents in person.

But, how many of us can get to Washington, D.C.?

Here’s where Genlighten comes in. One of our providers–familymatters2u–takes digital camera images of pension files for other researchers. And, not only can he provide color images, but he can do it with pretty quick turnaround for $50 (up to 100 pages). That’s $30 less than the $80 it costs to request copies through the mail.

We also have providers who can access records at the various National Archives regional branches across the country including Atlanta, Boston (3), Riverside, CA (2), Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, and the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.

Do we have someone who can help you with your project? To find out, just go to Genlighten.com and search for a locality, specialty, or repository of interest.

And, if you visit one of the branches that’s not on our list, consider offering your own research services through our site.

Warmly,

Cyndy
Genlighten Co-founder

__________

1 Deposition of pensioner, 24 May 1910, in Civil War pension file for Charles A. Bellinger (Private, Company A, 97 Regiment, New York Volunteers), certificate no. 89795, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Filed Under: Research Tips Tagged With: Client tips, National Archives, Research tips

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When you hire a genealogist through Genlighten, we want your project to proceed in a positive and productive way.

Among other things, our blog provides tips to help professionals and their clients work together successfully.

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