Tag Archives: study groups

NEW! Study Group Based on Evidence Explained 4th Ed.

Genealogical Education, study groups, , , , , , , , , ,

We (Cyndi Ingle and I) have developed a five-week study group based on Elizabeth Shown Mills’s book Evidence Explained 4th Edition. This will be a nice companion to our study group based on Tom Jones’s book Mastering Genealogical Documentation. While it is not a requirement to have taken the MGD study group first, we will discuss some of the similarities and differences in their approach to documenting your genealogical research.

Image of the book Evidence Explained 4th Edition by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Basically, outside of some standard conventions, there are also a lot of options when it comes to creating your citations. Mills’s book offers some differing options, provides ample explanation of the “why” behind her suggestions, and provides us with this fantastic tome to help everyone through their citation anxiety.

The five-week group will cover the first three chapters of the book. We will have a reading assignment along with guided homework questions to be completed before the discussion sessions. We will have a private Facebook group for discussion between sessions. Each session will be about an hour. You must own a copy of the book which can be purchased at Genealogical Publishing Company or on Amazon.

The cost for the 5-week course is $75. Click the links below to register. Please pay attention to the days, dates, and times when making your selection since they vary.

There will be three sessions (limited to 25 students):

If you can’t make it this time around, sign up on our Waitlist to be notified of the next session when it is scheduled.

We hope you will joint us as we continue to try to demystify the practice of creating citations for your genealogical research.

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!

Upcoming Study Groups

Genealogical Education, ,

We have added our 2025 schedule for the NGSQ, Mastering Genealogical Proof, and Mastering Genealogical Documentation study groups.

We still have some seats remaining in some of the NGSQ sessions. The registration will open soon for the MGP session starting in February.

We also have a new study group coming soon… more details as the group is finalized, so stay tuned for that!

A few thoughts on the NGSQ study groups

I will be heading into my sixth year running these groups. I have learned so much just by being the discussion moderator, but also, I am a student along with everyone else. We all read an article that none of us have (likely) read before. A few things I’ve learned by being a student:

  • I learn about how other people think. Others’ approaches to similar problems of my own give me new insights on how to tackle those problems. What sources are they consulting? How much research are they doing to solve their problem?
  • I learn how other people present evidence. Studying the charts and tables alone gives me ideas on how to visually present the evidence I have found in a way to enhance my narrative.
  • I learn how other people cite their sources. Of course, each journal has an in-house citation style, but beyond that, I learn about which sources authors use and how they cite them, specifically, what is important to include in that citation.
  • I learn how other people resolve conflicting evidence. When you come across sources that are not in agreement, how do you write about that? How to you explain the conflict or present evidence that shows why one side of the conflict is the most likely or “right” side? Reading how others do that helps me learn how to do that for myself.
  • I learn how other people write about certain topics or methodologies. When I read articles that are about disambiguating men of the same name, for example, or how authors write about DNA evidence, I learn about how I can write about similar situations in my own work.

Basically, you learn how to “do” the Genealogical Proof Standard by studying NGSQ articles.

  1. Reasonably Exhaustive Research
  2. Analysis and Correlation of Evidence
  3. Full Source Citations
  4. Resolution of Conflicts
  5. Written Conclusion

We hope you will join us for the learning that doesn’t end, is varied, and new each month!

Full details about our NGSQ study groups can be found here.

Happy New Year! 2024 Style

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It’s that time of year again where we think about the past year and plan for the next. 2023 had its ups and downs, but I’m looking forward to 2024 and have a lot of plans, both personally and professionally. Here’s just a few things going on for me in 2024. Some of them you can join along with me!

  • NGSQ Study groups are starting up again. Cyndi Ingle (of Cyndi’s List) and I each run two groups. We read an NGSQ article and discuss it each month, and we come up with unique discussion questions to lead us through some of the important points of each article. This is one of my favorite activities each month. No matter if I “liked” an article or not, I ALWAYS learn something I can use in my own research and writing. Two of the four groups still have space. Check out the details and register here.
  • I hosted a writer’s group last year as a trial. It went really well so I am doing it again this year. This is a working group, participation is required. But we go over different aspects of writing and then trade pieces with a different partner each month to give/get feedback. It was very helpful for me and I heard the same from other participants last year. If you want to do more writing in 2024, consider joining this group.
  • Cyndi will be leading the Mastering Genealogical Proof and Mastering Genealogical Documentation groups this year. These are study groups based off of the books by Dr. Thomas W. Jones and are fundamental for any genealogist looking to advance their knowledge and skill. Consider one or both if you want to up your game this year.
  • I will be attending SLIG this year and am looking forward to taking one of the courses that has been on my list for several years: Course 3: Exploring Their Life: The Social History of Your Family with Gena Philibert-Ortega.
  • I have several online webinars planned for the year and more to come. You can follow my speaking schedule here.
  • I am also working on a couple of projects I hope to get published so stay tuned about those!

I hope you have some great plans for 2024, especially as it pertains to your genealogical education and practice.

Happy New Year!

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 Documentation Study Group – registration now open

Events, ,

We are about half-way through the latest round of our study groups for the book Mastering Genealogical Proof, by Tom Jones. Therefore, registration is now open for the next Mastering Genealogical DOCUMENTATION study group. (The titles and book covers are very similar so I’m trying to avoid confusion.)

The study group is designed to be a beginner/low-intermediate level class to study the book. We will cover the principles outlined in the text as well as discuss the workbook questions.

This go-round we will be offering three sessions: Wednesdays at Noon Pacific/3pm Eastern led by Cyndi Ingle of Cyndi’s List, 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern led by Cari Taplin, and 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern led by Cyndi. (Please adjust for your time zone). Groups begin on September 27, 2023 and run 7 weeks, (plus optional 8th week). Each class will be about an hour and we will meet using Zoom.

The full details and registration links can be found here: https://genealogypants.com/research-and-consultation-services/classes-and-study-groups/mastering-genealogical-documentation-beginning-principles-class/

Both Cyndi and I enjoy running these study groups and making new genealogy friends along the way! We hope you will join us!

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…

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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.)

Mastering Genealogical Documentation Study Group Now Forming!

Genealogical Education, ,

The Mastering Genealogical Documentation Study Group is back! Registration is now open!

Mastering Genealogical Documentation, a Seven-Week Beginning Principles Course, lead by Cyndi Ingle of Cyndi’s List. (Cari is on a hiatus this time around.) The course runs from August 3, 2022 through September 21, 2022 – 7 weeks, plus an optional 8th week to review optional homework. The fee is US$75.00. You must own a copy of Mastering Genealogical Documentation, available through NGS.

There will be three different sessions to choose from:

  1. Wednesday daytime at Noon Pacific/3pm Eastern (Register Here)
  2. Wednesday evening at 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern (Register Here)
  3. Thursday daytime at 1pm Pacific/4pm Eastern (Register Here)

Each class will be about an hour and a half, but sometimes may go over that if the discussion requires it. 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! I will take 25 students in each class.

Study group details are here.