Why I'm Reading Genealogy Standards

Not every genealogist needs to be certified or wants to be certified.

And that's ok.

I've been reading the Board for Certification of Genealogists' Standards over the past few weeks as a part of my progress towards submitting my portfolio for certification. I've blogged about it a little bit and as time goes forward, there will be more posts about various aspects of the book. There's material in the standards that can help any genealogist who would like to enhance their research skills. Genealogists can benefit from the content of the book even if they have no intention of becoming certified. Just reading the standards and thinking about what various aspects mean for you and your research is a good thing.

Whenever a genealogist thinks about how they research, it has the chance of making them a better researcher. Whether they decide to become certified or not.

There's not just information in the book about how to meet the "genealogical standards." There is also a section about what is expected of a professional genealogist and that is good content for anyone who is thinking about hiring a genealogist to research part of their family tree. Does a genealogist have to be certified to be a professional genealogist? No. Can a professional be extremely competent if she is not certified? Absolutely.

Reading the Standards provides the opportunity to fine-tune my research process. That's true even if I don't agree with every word on every page.

I'll be creating more posts about the Standards over the next few months. Stay tuned.