Tag Archives: mastering genealogical proof

Why You Should Consisder an MGP study group

Genealogical Education, , ,

If you are a burgeoning genealogist, you might consider taking our study group based on the book Mastering Genealogical Proof (MGP) by Tom Jones. And if you are an established genealogist, you might consider a refresher on the topic. MGP covers the five elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS):

  1. Reasonably exhaustive research
  2. Full and complete citations
  3. Analysis and correlation of evidence
  4. Resolution of conflicts
  5. A written conclusion

The MGP book by Tom Jones was designed as a study guide with questions at the end of each chapter. This has been a fantastic way to study the topics of the GPS. He has them broken down into tangible parts, with examples from his own work. The GPS allows genealogists to be confident in their findings, especially as it pertains to tough problems. This book breaks all of that down into easy-to-understand concepts.

Our study groups work through his book, studying his examples, but we also add our own examples to those in the book. We have time for discussion of the book’s questions and of anything from it that is confusing or unclear, and we share our own experiences with those topics.

This year, we are only doing one session of MGP (to make way in our class schedule for a new exciting opportunity; stay tuned). This session will be led by Cyndi Ingle (of Cyndi’s List) and starts on 15 February 2025 and runs on Saturdays at 5pm Eastern for seven weeks.

Please visit this link for the full details.

To register, click here.

We hope you will join us! This opportunity won’t be available again until 2026!

2024 Study Group Schedule

Genealogy Program, , , , ,

Cyndi and I have finalized our plans for 2024 and wanted to share the schedule with you.

2024 NGSQ with Mastering Genealogical Proof Principles – There are four session times to choose from (limit of 25 per session). This course runs for 11 months (January – November) and we study one National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) issue per month. Due to copyright, we cannot provide copies of the articles. You need to be a member of NGS or be able to make copies at a local public library. We read the articles ahead of students and create a list of unique questions for each article to discuss along with some standard questions we ask of all NGSQ articles. We don’t have the article list yet, but will post it as soon as it is available.

2024 Dates for NGSQ:

  • Jan 15 & 16  
  • Feb 12 & 13  
  • Mar 11 & 12  
  • Apr 8 & 9  
  • May 13 & 14 
  • Jun 10 & 11 
  • July 8 & 9 
  • Aug 12 & 13  
  • Sep 9 & 10 
  • Oct 14 & 15 
  • Nov 11 & 12
  • No class in December

Registration is open! Click here to see the options and to register: https://genealogypants.com/studygroups/ngsq-study-groups/

Writer’s Workshop Group 2024 – This writing group will work together to improve a piece of your own writing over 8 months (we January through August). The meeting times will be on usually the third Thursday of the month at 7 pm Eastern. Our overall focus will be genealogical writing. We will be mostly focusing on writing aspects but will also touch on genealogical issues such as meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), looking at Genealogical Standards that are relevant to writing, and using citations. This is a participation required group. We will work on a piece of writing over the 8 months. You will be paired up each month with a partner to give feedback on that month’s topic. Participation is a must, and if you are looking for a hands-on writing group, this may be the one for you!

For full details and to register, click here:https://genealogypants.com/studygroups/writing-group/

Mastering Genealogical Proof (MGP) – a seven-week beginning principles course. There will be two sessions, Wednesday daytime at 3pm Eastern and Saturdays at 1pm Eastern (so adjust for your time zone). This is for those who have never studied this book before. We will be studying this from a beginner or slightly intermediate level. If you’ve done one of these groups before and want a refresher, that’s ok too! We will take 25 students in each class. This year, all classes will be taught by Cyndi Ingle. This is for those who have never studied this book before. We will be studying this from a beginner or slightly intermediate level. If you’ve done one of these groups before and want a refresher, that’s ok too! We will take 25 students in each class.

2024 Dates for MGP:

  • Wednesdays, February 7 – March 20 – Noon Pacific/3 pm Eastern
  • Saturdays, February 10 – March 23 – 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern
  • Wednesdays, August 7 – September 18 – Noon Pacific/3 pm Eastern
  • Saturdays, August 10 – September 21 – 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern

Registration will open 4-6 weeks before the class begins.

Mastering Genealogical Documentation (MGD) – a seven-Week beginning principles course – There will be two sessions: Wednesday daytime at 3pm Eastern, and Saturdays at 1pm Eastern (so adjust for your time zone). Each class will be about an hour. This is for those who have never studied this book before. We will be studying this from a beginner or slightly intermediate level. It is recommended that you have studied the book Mastering Genealogical Proof, but not a requirement for taking this class. If you’ve done one of these groups before and want a refresher, that’s ok too! We will take 25 students in each class.

2024 Dates for MGD:

  • Wednesdays, February 7 – March 20 – Noon Pacific/3 pm Eastern – Coming Soon
  • Saturdays, February 10 – March 23 – 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern – Coming Soon
  • Wednesdays, August 7 – September 18 – Noon Pacific/3 pm Eastern
  • Saturdays, August 10 – September 21 – 10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern

Registration will open 4-6 weeks before the class begins.

Visit the Classes and Study Groups page at any time for most recent information. We hope to see you throughout the year!

Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Groups Registration Now Open

Announcements, ,

We have had a little delay in the blog posts lately. Last week I was course coordinator for the “Spirit of the Inland Seas: Research in the Great Lakes” along with Cyndi Ingle (Cyndi’s List), Paula Stuart-Warren (Genealogy by Paula), and Judy Russell (The Legal Genealogist). It was a fantastic week with a great class! In that course, I taught eight lectures, and I also taught two lectures in Paula’s “Digging Deeper course.” As you can imagine, the weeks leading up to it and last week were quite busy with preparations and teaching! Therefore, a bit of lag on the blog. I will continue the current series next week.

Cyndi and I also opened registration for our next Mastering Genealogical Proof study groups that are beginning in August. Here are the details:

This will be a beginner/low-intermediate level class to study the book Mastering Genealogical Proof by Tom Jones. We will cover the principles outlined in the book as well as discuss the workbook questions.

Details of the course (PLEASE READ):

  • There will be THREE sessions: Wednesday daytime at 3pm Eastern, led by Cyndi Ingle (of Cyndi’s List), Wednesday evenings at 7pm Eastern led by Cari Taplin, or Saturdays at 1pm Eastern, led by Cyndi Ingle. Times are in Eastern so adjust for your time zone. Beginning Wednesday August 2, 2023 or Saturday August 5 (for 7 weeks). Each class will be about an hour.
  • We will meet on Zoom. 
  • Cost for the course: $75
  • You will need to have the book, Mastering Genealogical Proof. It can be purchased on Amazon or through the National Genealogical Society if you don’t already have it.
  • There are questions in the book that we will use to guide discussion. Reading the chapter and answering the discussion questions will prepare you for each week’s class.
  • For the first half (or so) of each class session, we will present/recap the principles for that week (we’ll have slides).
  • The second half will be going over the discussion questions.
  • There will also be a private Facebook group for this class only so you can ask questions and discuss issues in-between class sessions.
  • Class size is limited to 25.
  • Sessions are NOT recorded. Please plan on attending in person.

Choose one of the following times, click the link to register:  

We look forward to studying with you! However, if this session does not work for you, we will be holding the next session in early 2024. To be notified when registration opens for the next session, please click this link to sign up for the waitlist. (This waitlist is just a way for us to collect your email so we can notify you of registration and is not a guarantee of a seat in the class.)

Plans for the rest of the year and some for next…

Presentations and Events, , , , , , , , ,

Before I start the next series of my blog, I just wanted to give a quick update for me and the rest of the year and some exciting things starting next year.

First, the last Mastering Genealogical Proof study group for 2022 is starting next week. You only have a few days left to register if you are interested. (The 2023 schedule is still being formed for both MGP and MGD so stay tuned.) You can check the webpage for all class schedules or follow my Facebook page or subscribe to this blog to be kept up to date. (At the bottom of each page is a place to enter your email address to get updates to my blog.)

Scroll to the bottom of this page to find the location for getting emails when a new blog post is published.

Second, I am starting a new group focused on WRITING in 2023. It is called the “Writer’s Workshop Group 2023” and will be held once per month to allow for attendees to work on various aspects of their writing. More information and registration can be found here. The class size is limited so do not wait to sign up!

Third, Cyndi Ingle (of Cyndi’s List) and I will be holding our NGSQ study groups again next year. If you have not participated, but would like to be notified when registration happens, please sign up on the waitlist here.

Fourth, I will be participating in the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference in April 2023. I am going to present the keynote on Thursday titled “The Virtue of the Great Lakes: Contributions to Westward Expansion,” as well as several other lectures.

Fifth, I am excited to be coordinating our Great Lakes course again at GRIP in June 2023. The instructors are myself, Cyndi Ingle, Paula Stuart-Warren, and Judy Russell. We had a blast last time and many good comments so we are excited to do it again. It is one of my favorite topics.

I am always providing webinars throughout the year. Between living through the pandemic and now having a full-time job, I have decided to limit my in-person speaking. So, I will mostly be found at online events. (No gas money, driving through stressful traffic, not to mention the time commitment for travel. Not only is that easier for me and less expense for the societies I’m speaking to, it is better for the environment.) My speaking calendar can be found at the bottom of my webpages or click here. I hope to see you at any of the events above.

Next Round of Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Groups are Forming!

Genealogical Education, Presentations and Events, Skill Building,

Our next round of Mastering Genealogical Proof study groups is forming! We are studying the book by Tom Jones and working through the workbook questions. These two groups will be lead by Cyndi Ingle (of Cyndi’s List). Here are the details:

  • There will be two sessions: Wednesday daytime at 3pm Eastern, and Wednesday evenings at 7pm Eastern (so adjust for your time zone), both being led by Cyndi Ingle. Beginning October 5 – November 16, 2022 (7 weeks, plus optional 8th week). Each class will be about an hour.
  • We will meet on Zoom.
  • Cost for the course: $75
  • You will need to have the book, Mastering Genealogical Proof by Tom Jones. It can be purchased on Amazon or through the National Genealogical Society if you don’t already have it.
  • There are questions in the book that we will use to guide discussion. Reading the chapter and answering the discussion questions will prepare you for each week’s class.
  • For first half (or so) of each class session, we will present/recap the principles for that week (we’ll have slides).
  • The second half will be going over the discussion questions.
  • There will also be a private Facebook group for this class only so you can ask questions and discuss issues in-between class sessions.
  • Class size is limited to 25.

Choose either of these two times, click the link to register:

We look forward to studying with you!

If this session does not work for you, we will be holding the next session in 2023. To be notified when registration opens for the next session, please click this link to sign up for the waitlist. (This waitlist is just a way for us to collect your email so we can notify you of registration and is not a guarantee of a seat in the class.)

Next Mastering Genealogical Proof Study Groups Forming

Genealogical Education,

Registration is now open for the next Mastering Genealogical Proof study group which begins on April 21, 2021. If you are interested, now is the time to register! The class information is as follows:

This will be a beginner/low-intermediate level class to study the book Mastering Genealogical Proof by Tom Jones. We will cover the principles outlined in the book as well as discuss the workbook questions.

Details of the course (PLEASE READ):

  • There will be two sessions: Wednesday daytime (lead by Cyndi Ingle of Cyndi’s List), at 3pm Eastern, and Wednesday evenings (lead by Cari Taplin) at 8pm Eastern (so adjust for your time zone). Beginning April 21, 2021 and ending June 2, 2021 (so 7 weeks total). Each class will be about an hour.
  • We will meet on Zoom. 
  • Cost for the course: $50
  • You will need to have the book, Mastering Genealogical Proof. It can be purchased on Amazon or through the National Genealogical Society if you don’t already have it.
  • There are questions in the book that we will use to guide discussion. Reading the chapter and answering the discussion questions will prepare you for each week’s class.
  • For first half (or so) of each class session, I will present/recap the principles for that week (I’ll have slides).
  • The second half will be going over the discussion questions.
  • There will also be a private Facebook group for this class only so you can ask questions and discuss issues in-between class sessions.
  • Class size is limited to 25.

If you are interested, please sign up for the class time you are interested in:

Wednesdays, 3pm Eastern (with Cyndi): https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ZR9R1ZQPYQB26/checkout/OBWHBLEU5VJITZ2S4N2YCQ5M

Wednesdays, 8pm Eastern (with Cari): https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ZR9R1ZQPYQB26/checkout/6IXPC72D2U242JANRANHAYXN

We look forward to studying with you!

NOTE: If this session does not work for you, we will be holding the next session beginning on October 6, 2021. To be notified when registration opens for the next session, please click this link to sign up for the waitlist.

Announcing NEW NGSQ Study Groups

Genealogical Education, Skill Building, , , ,

During my time as a facilitator for the Certification Discussion Groups (CDG), organized by Jill Morelli, students indicated to me that they wished for some more options in discussion groups to talk more about the “meaty” techniques and methods of genealogical research, particularly when working with evidence analysis and the Genealogical Proof Standard.

IMG_3953I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while and have finally settled upon the details. This is a monthly study group that will examine one National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) journal article per month. We will study these articles with a focus on principles taught in Mastering Genealogical Proof (MGP) by Tom Jones. We will discuss topics on the genealogy standards, evidence analysis and correlation, writing, citations, and more.

The cost is $50 for the year. For this price, you will:

  • Participate in a monthly study group session for up to two hours with your peers, led by me, Cari Taplin.
  • Receive the discussion questions at least two weeks prior to the online meeting.
  • Have access to a private Facebook Group for mid-month discussion. This Facebook group will be limited to study group participants only, no outside noise!

There will be no individual feedback given unless you want to sign up for a private consultation session. There will be no required peer feedback, except for what you choose to post and receive in the FB group. Your commitment is to read the articles, any indicated sections in MGP, and come prepared to discuss the questions (or simply show up and listen). I believe the benefit you will get out of a class is equal to the effort you put into it.

Please Note: You must have access to these articles either by being a member of NGS or from your local library. You will also need to have a copy of Mastering Genealogical Proof. Due to copyright, I cannot provide copies to you.

There are three sessions, two daytime and one evening.

Sign up now or click for more information.

This is meant to be an INTERMEDIATE discussion group, not a beginner or advanced. If you aren’t sure if you fall into that category here are some possibly helpful descriptors to help you decide (all or none could apply but this is the type of group I’m aiming for):

  • You’ve read NGSQ articles and generally can follow them (I’m not asking if you fully understand them, but they aren’t “Greek” to you either)
  • You own Mastering Genealogical Proof(or at least know what it is and will buy a copy before this class starts)
  • You own or have access to a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills
  • You’re interested in certification or accreditation and have participated in one of Jill Morelli’s Certification Discussion Groups (CDG)
  • You know what the Genealogical Proof Standard is.

If you aren’t sure, send me an email and we can discuss it further.

To keep the discussion manageable and allow everyone a chance to speak, class size is limited to 25 participants, so sign up now!

I’m looking forward to studying with you!