Published July 2, 2019
| 1 Comment | Leave A ReplyGenealogy hobbyists often start their searches today with merely a name. And many databases and family history websites today have advanced to the point of serving up potential records that match those names.
Even more specific questions—such as “Where do I find my great-grandfather’s birthplace?” or “Which port did my great-great-grandmother use to enter the United States?” or “Did my ancestor really fight in the Civil War?”—might be answered fairly quickly.
But to be assured that the answers you’re finding truly match names in your tree, you need to know more about the records that document your ancestor’s lives, what those records can reveal, and what resources you should be using beyond the familiar.
One way to learn more about family history research and resources is to take courses focusing on these topics. The National Institute for Genealogical Studies, a durable provider of online genealogy education in an industry in which many for-profit entities have come and gone, has offered genealogical courses for more than 25 years. Courses are offered online and allow students to study on their own schedule.
In addition to courses, students can take part in interactive virtual meetings led by instructors. These online meetings provide an opportunity to hear educational presentations, ask questions, and learn about resources necessary for successful family history research.
More than 200 courses in genealogical studies are offered to help enhance researcher’s skills. The courses explore everything from genealogy best practices to the records of specific countries.
Have German ancestors? The institute has courses for that. In fact, they have courses on a wide variety of genealogical topics for the beginning family historian to the professional.
From the National Institute for Genealogical Studies you can choose to take individual courses or enroll in a genealogical Certificate Program in the records of Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, Eastern Europe, Scotland, Italy, and the United States, as well as a General Methodology, Professional Development, and Librarianship Certificate Program.
Students enrolled in the German Certificate program build their expertise in genealogical research methodologies and the records of Germany. Courses that focus on researching German heritage include: German: Introduction to Research, German: Church Records, German: Civil Registration Records, German: Emigration Records, German: Locating Places in Germany, German: Reading the Records and German: Record Repositories. Methodology and Analysis courses provide the student with instruction in proper genealogical methodology and analysis of records and evidence.
Ready to take a course? Go to www.genealogicalstudies.com to view the courses offered and start dates. New courses start each month. For more information please call toll-free in North America at (800) 580-0165 extension 3 or email to admin@genealogicalstudies.com.
Note: As a special to readers of “Roots & Branches,” you can use the following discount codes through July 30:
- pk2019JB – gets you 10 percent off of any package
- sc2019JB – gets you 25 percent off of any single course
1 Comment
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The Best of "Roots & Branches", Fifth Edition published July 2017, edited by Terri J. Bridgwater.
It contains a selection of columns from Beidler’s award-winning newspaper column (currently published in the Altoona Mirror), which is the only syndicated newspaper column on genealogy in Pennsylvania.
The book can be ordered online, or purchased directly from Jim when he speaks at a conference.
Rick Bender
5 years ago
As if I don’t already have enough to read about German history and genealogy! (It’ll take ’til Christmas for me to finish going over all my notes and suggested readings from IGGP.)
Okay. I printed this column for future use.