Seattle Genealogical Society
FALL SEMINAR 2015
“The Family History Detective: Finding Solutions to Your Toughest Research Problems”
Speaker: Dr. Thomas W. Jones, CG, CGL, FASG
Saturday, 17 October 2015
9:00am – 4:00pm
Nordic Heritage Museum
Registration: $50 SGS Members / $60 Non-members
Seminar Topics:
- Can a Complex Research Problem be Solves Solely Online?
Step by step, attendees will suggest online sources and research strategies for tracing an ancestor who seems to disappear and reappear. The interactive case study will show both how such cases can be solved online and the limits of material online today. - Five Ways to Prove Who Your Ancestor Was (Some Reliable and Others Not Reliable)
Case studies will illustrate five ways – some reliable and others not – that genealogists “prove” an ancestor’s identity: using information provided by others; using a single source; following a chain of evidence; correlating evidence from multiple sources; and weighing conflicting evidence. Attendees will learn how to use the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) to identify their ancestors accurately. - Inferential Genealogy: Deducing Ancestors’ Identities Correctly
Participants will learn how to accurately deduce ancestors’ identities and many aspects of their lives by digging below “surface information” in genealogical records and by combining information from several sources. - Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Ancestor
Genealogists may be frustrated by not finding ancestors in the records and places where they logically expect them to be. This presentation will explain seven reasons why such ancestors seem to have disappeared, provide examples of each from actual case studies, and suggest strategies to help attendees find their elusive ancestors.
Special Events:
- Famous SGS book sale to benefit the SGS Library Fund
Don’t miss the additional Special Classes on Sunday, October 18th! Registration is limited!