Putting Skills to Work

Tuesday, 7 May 2019

Melissa Johnson and Nancy Peters will teach the BCG Education Fund Workshop on Tuesday, 7 May 2019, prior to the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2019 Family History Conference in St. Charles, Missouri.

Meeting Standards with Twenty-First Century Research Reports

Melissa Johnson, CG

Genealogical research reports should communicate research results and conclusions in a clear, efficient, useful, and accurate manner. The workshop will take an in-depth look at what it takes to develop a research report that meets standards. Discussion includes the use and purpose of a research report; different formats for research reports; a report’s necessary components; presentation of findings, analysis, and conclusions; documentation; clear writing and formatting; and professional appearance and delivery. Workshop participants will walk away with a better understanding of the necessary components of a twenty-first research report, increased genealogical writing skills, and concepts for improving research and writing efficiency.

Melissa A. Johnson, CG® is a New Jersey-based professional genealogist specializing in genealogical research; writing, editing, and publishing; using DNA to solve genealogical problems; and forensic genealogy. She focuses on researching families with roots in New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, and the British Isles.

Melissa is editor of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey Newsletter and reviews editor of the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey and the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History. Melissa is chair of the Association of Professional Genealogists Professional Development Committee, and a member of the Board for Certification of Genealogists Webinar Committee.

Melissa serves on the faculty of the Boston University Genealogical Research Program, and has served on the faculty of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, Institute for Genealogy and Historical Research, British Institute, and the Forensic Genealogy Institute. Her work has been published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, NGS Monthly, Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, NGS Magazine, and numerous other publications.

Evidence Analysis: Theory, Practice, and the Real World

Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL

Incomplete analysis of evidence often leads genealogists astray and results in incorrect conclusions.

An essential element of the Genealogical Proof Standard, evidence analysis is a foundation skill for

researchers who strive to reconstruct accurate ancestral families and relationships. This session will

set participants on the path to proficiency. Through hands-on activities and discussion of case

examples, participants will learn methods for analyzing sources, information, and evidence to solve

genealogical problems of kinship and identity.

Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL, is coeditor of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ). She

serves on the executive committee and as a trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists

(BCG) and is the former editor of its newsletter, OnBoard.

A full-time professional genealogist, Nancy has conducted in-depth genealogical research to solve

complex “brick wall” problems for clients. Her personal and client research focus primarily in

England, Germany, New York, and southeastern U.S. She lectures at the NGS Family History

Conference and is an instructor for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, the Genealogical Research

Institute of Pittsburgh, and the BCG Education Fund on skill-building topics and genealogy

standards. Nancy’s articles have appeared in NGSQ and other genealogical journals. She authored

the “Research Reports” chapter in the Writing, Editing & Publishing section of Professional Genealogy:

Preparation, Practice, and Standards (2018).

Roster of Putting Skills To Work Instructors

Mary McCampbell Bell, CG. “Abstracting Records: Land Records,” 2003, 2004. “Abstracting Documents,” 2007.
Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG. “Spreadsheets 201: Manipulating Data to Dismantle Brick Walls,” 2016.
Melinde Lutz Byrne, CG, FASG, FNGS. “Editor’s Ink: Writing for Genealogical Journals,” 2012.
Victor S. Dunn, CG. “I Rest My Case: Constructing a Convincing Proof Argument,” 2014.
Ann Carter Fleming, CG, CGL, FNGS. “Writing Family History: Style, Index, and More,” 2009.
Kay Haviland Freilich, CG, CGL, FNGS. “Planning Research,” 2006. “Writing the Ancestral Story,” 2009.
Marty Hiatt, CG. “Writing Reports,” 2006. “Arguing: Writing Proof Summaries,” 2007.
Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA. “Genealogical Documentation: What, Why, and How,” 2008. “Editing Your Own and Others’ Genealogical Writing,” 2012. "Citing All Kinds of Online Sources," 2018
Connie Lenzen, CG. “Historical Context: More Than A Timeline,” 2013. "Planning and Executing Reasonably Exhaustive Research; or, How to Ensure a Successful Hunt," 2018.
Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FVGS. “Working with Documents: From Discovery to What Comes Next,” 2011.
Barbara J. Mathews, CG. “Writing Genealogical Narratives,” 2006. “Evidence Evaluation,” 2008. “Evidence Analysis, Correlation, and Resolution: The Heart of the Genealogical Proof Standard.” 2015.
David McDonald, D.Min., CG. “Reach for the Power Tools: Transcriptions & Abstractions,” 2016.
Sharon Tate Moody, CG. “In the Law Library: A Workshop on Legal Research for Genealogists,” 2011. “Passing Out The Property: A Workshop on the Probate Process,” 2014.
Nancy A. Peters, CG. “Make Your Case: Correlating Evidence to Solve Genealogical Problems,” 2017.
Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL. “Tested Strategies for Efficient Research Reports.” 2015.
Beverly Rice, CG. “The Path To Change And A Better Life—Migration,” 2013.
Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG. “Abstracting Records for Accuracy and Success,” 2004, 2005.
Pamela Boyer Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA. “Synchronized Research and Reporting,” 2010.
Sara A. Scribner, CG. “Make Your Case: Constructing and Writing Proof Discussions,” 2017.
Kip Sperry, CG, FASG. “Reading Early Handwriting,” 2010.
Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA. “Planning Research,” 2006.

Roster of Special Workshop Instructors

Debbie Parker Wayne, CG, CGL. “Genetic Genealogy: Effective Analysis and Correlation of DNA Test Results.” 2015.