Now a new generation of genealogical educators have given the field an entirely new guide to the profession of genealogy–offering fresh insights and new specialties, grounded in more-solid standards and wider experiences and applications. In twenty-six chapters, written by twenty-two experts and edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills, Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards (ProGen PPS) is an invaluable resource for professional genealogists and students, as well as all family history researchers. “From genetic and forensic genealogy to ethics and contracts, business structures, marketing, writing, editing, and preparing books for press, ProGen PPS promises to inspire thought processes and ignite new discussions (Billie Stone Fogarty, M. Ed. President, Association of Professional Genealogists).

“Searching for roots” is a popular hobby, but genealogy is a discipline. From courts of law to government agencies, from medical research projects to television shows, reliable genealogical research is an essential in modern societies. The public sector needs professionals who know historical archives well but, more importantly, understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual records. It needs professionals skilled not only in research principles but the far more difficult challenge of proving identities and kinship. It needs professionals who understand proof and the standards that produce reliable evidence.

ProGen PPS provides a complete course of instruction to prepare genealogists for a career in a complex field. Whether you discover this career path as a young adult or come into genealogy as a mature researcher trained in another professional discipline, ProGen PPS will ground you in the essential practices, standards, and language of genealogy–those expected by courts, government agencies, and others who commission research. If you are a librarian or archivist who assists family historians on a daily basis, ProGen PPS provides a framework to coach them well. If you are a family or local historian, seeking to learn and preserve your heritage, ProGen PPS will help you avoid common pitfalls and guide you through the production of quality works.

“ProGen PPS is a landmark volume with an abundance of new material and thought. The collective talents of today’s generation of key influencers bring together unsurpassed knowledge of our craft that simply must be studied by novice and expert alike!”–David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FUGA, FIGRS, Chief Genealogical Officer, FamilySearch

About Elizabeth Shown Mills
Elizabeth Shown Mills, the architect and editor of both Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice &
Standards and 2001’s Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers
& Librarians, has been cited by her peers as the most influential genealogist in the post-Roots era.
As a pioneer educator in standards-based research and a developer of problem-solving strategies for proving identities and kinships, Mills edited a major scholarly journal for 16 years and both taught and directed programs in the field’s leading institutes for three decades. Widely published by commercial and scholarly presses in genealogy and history, as well as literature and sociology, her fifteen books include GPC’s best-seller Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace and its companion series, QuickSheets.

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Its twenty-nine chapters, written by two dozen scholars, cover the following topic areas: research skills and the analysis of evidence, writing and compiling genealogical research, the core genealogy library collection, genealogical ethics and standards, editing and publishing, and topics relating to the profession of genealogist.

“Professional Genealogy is a landmark–the field’s most significant publication since 1960, when the American Society of Genealogists introduced Genealogical Research: Methods and Sources. In a sense, though, its title belies its greatest value: it offers priceless guidance to the many amateur family historians who want to ensure that their work is of high quality and enduring value.”–Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, President, Board for Certification of Genealogists.

The following is the book’s Table of Contents:

Professional Preparation
1. Defining Professionalism, by Donn Devine,J.D., CG, CGI
2. Educational Preparation, by Claire Mire Bettag, CGRS
3. Certification and Accreditation, by Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG; Paul F. Smart, AG; Jimmy B. Parker, AG; and Claire Mire Bettag, CGRS
4. The Essential Library, by Joy Reisinger, CG

Ethics and Legalities
5. Ethical Standards, by Neil D. Thompson, LL.B., Ph.D., CG, FASG
6. Executing Contracts, by Patricia Gilliam Hastings, J.D.
7. Copyright and Fair Use, by Val D. Greenwood, J.D., AG

Career Management
8. Alternative Careers, by Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CGRS
9. Structuring A Business, by Melinda Shackleford Kashuba, Ph.D.
10. Setting Realistic Fees, by Sandra Hargreaves Luebking
11. Marketing Strategies, by Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CGRS
12. Business Record Keeping, by Helen F. M. Leary, CG, CGL, FASG
13. Time Management, by Patricia Law Hatcher, CG, FASG

Professional Research Skills
14. Problem Analyses and Research Plans, by Helen F. M. Leary, CG, CGL, FASG
15. Research Procedures, by Linda Woodward Geiger, CGRS, CGL
16. Transcripts and Abstracts, by Mary McCampbell Bell, CLS, CGL
17. Evidence Analysis, by Donn Devine, J.D., CG, CGI

Writing and Compiling
18. Research Reports, by Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG
19. Genealogy Columns, by Regina Hines Ellison, CGRS
20. Proof Arguments and Case Studies, by Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG
21. Book and Media Reviews, by Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG
22. Record Compilations, by Bettie Cummings Cook, CG
23. Family Histories, by Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG
24. Lineage Papers, by Mary McCampbell Bell, CLS, CGL and Elisabeth Whitman Schmidt, CLS

Editing and Publishing
25. Editing Periodicals, by Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG
26. Proofreading and Indexing, by Birdie Monk Holsclaw
27. Preparing Books for Press, by Joan Ferris Curran, CG

Educational Services
28. Classroom Teaching, by Sandra Hargreaves Luebking
29. Lecturing, by Helen F. M. Leary, CG, CGL, FASG

This 654-page reference book includes an appendix for Abbreviations and Acronyms as well as a section covering “Codes, Guidelines, and Standards: United States and International.” The
book also has an extensive index.

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