Courses – Page 32 – International Institute of Genealogical Studies

Transcription Tuesday – German Handwriting

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies provides online genealogical education for those interested in a wide variety of topics, including those who are faced with reading records in a language that is unfamiliar to them. Whether you are just beginning to research your family history, or you are a professional genealogist, sooner or later, you will face this challenge. One of the foundational research skills to develop is Transcribing. However, it is difficult to transcript documents in other languages. Transcriptions still need to be created by family history researchers, and often in both languages. For this reason, we have created courses to address some of these challenges. Reading German Records There are two National Institute for Genealogical Studies courses from our German Records Certificate, which deal with German Handwriting and Transcribing Records written in the German language. The first course is German: The Language. This National Institute for Genealogical Studies basic level course introduces the key information needed about the German language so researchers can be successful in reading German records. Read Course Description here The second course is German: Reading the Records. This National Institute for Genealogical Studies intermediate level course provides a detailed discussion and explanation of the old style of German handwriting. Read Course Description here This course requires the purchase of a Compulsory Textbook titled: Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German, Latin, and French in Vital Records Written in German by Author: Roger P. Minert (2001, 182 pp). It includes a short history of handwriting styles in Germany, detailed separate methodologies for deciphering German, Latin and French vital records, computerized alphabet for old German characters representing the old Fraktur and Gothic handwriting alphabets, and more than 150 illustrations with 131 sample texts. Book is available in our online Genealogy Store. Both courses are part of our German Certificate Program. This can be purchased as a 40-course package, which includes all of the compulsory and elective courses required to complete the Certificate in Genealogical Studies for German Records. Practical Resources for German Handwriting Germany Handwriting – FamilySearch Handwriting Guide: German Gothic – FamilySearch List of Names in Old German Script – BYU Script Tutorial A comprehensive list of German given names, written in old script, with possible variations. Old German Script Transcriber – Deutsche Handschriften This is a very useful webpage. See how your family names were written in the script of their era. Type your name or other word into the font generator tool. Click on one of the 8 different fonts. You can…

Transcription Tuesday Dutch Handwriting

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies offers 230+ online courses on a wide variety of topics, providing genealogical education for those interested in beginning to research their family history, as well as professional genealogists. As we continue to explore developing Transcription Skills, we realize that most researchers will eventually discover immigrant ancestors whose original language was not English. This can make transcribing their documents a challenge when the language is not familiar. Our Basic Level course: Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting & Extracting was created to equip all of our students with this essential ability, but how can you start transcribing when you can’t even read the documents? DUTCH Research Our course Research: Dutch Ancestors in the Netherlands is an excellent resource for those who discover that they have Dutch Ancestors. It will guide you through the records that contain details about your ancestors’ lives. But how can you overcome the language barrier? Here are a few resources to assist you with translating the documents in order to prepare them for transcriptions. The FamilySearch Research Wiki is always a good place to start. FamilySearch – The Netherlands Genealogy FamilySearch – The Netherlands Online Genealogy Records FamilySearch – Netherlands Handwriting FamilySearch – Learning to Read Dutch Handwriting FamilySearch – Dutch Genealogical Word List Look for websites that provide tips and tutorials, created by those with experience using these records. Webinars and special collections will provide useful information for your research. BYU Script Tutorial – The Dutch Documents The Warehouse – Handwriting: Dutch Old Alphabet Dutch Genealogy – Quick tip – Mind the long S Legacy Family Tree Webinars – Researching Your Dutch Ancestors Library & Archives Canada – Immigration History: Ethno-Cultural Groups: Dutch Ancestry – Netherlands Collections Remember, the more you read through the documents, the more familiar you will become with the handwriting. Letters and words will become more easily recognizable. Practice transcribing small portions taken from a variety of documents. Create a “cheat sheet” document for yourself with screenshots of the most common letters or words found in the documents you are searching. This will make it easier to read similar documents when you come back later. It is recommended to always transcribe the documents for your ancestors when you find them, along with a complete citation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As researchers, we have found that there are many skills we need to employ in order to achieve success in our future research projects. Transcription Tuesday will share guidelines and practical suggestions to help our…

Genealogical Education Goals

Most of the major holiday celebrations are coming to a close. Perhaps you were fortunate enough to have opportunity to visit with family, and even to interview some of your family members, or browse through family photos. Be sure to record any family stories you were able to discover over this holiday season, as well as recording your own annual memories. It certainly was another year to remember! Now it is time to get ready to plan for new genealogical adventures. What do you hope to discover? Do you have a research focus? Making Realistic Genealogical Goals is key to successful research, both in the short term, and with long lasting rewards. Knowing what you want to accomplish is not enough. You need to make definite plans. Are you planning to apply to a lineage society? Do you need to get your files and documents organized? Implement a system that works for you. Have you lost where you left off in your research? Review the notes for your findings and make a proper Research Plan. Forgot where you found that information? Be sure to always cite your sources at the time of the discovery in order to review your work and make sure you will be able to find that source again. At a time when the accessibility of many repositories is uncertain, and possibly closed to in-person visits, work on what you can achieve at home and stay organized. Make a detailed list of what has been left undone and needs to have follow-up analysis. Then set your goals for how you will complete each task for each of your research projects. You have a brand-new open calendar before you – plan your time wisely. Do you have education goals? Make a list of the topics you want to pursue. How can you accomplish this goal? Is there a new book to read on the topic? Are there webinars to watch? Does the topic require more in-depth study over a period of time? How can online education help meet your goals?Contact our executive director, Angie Breidenbach, for your personal student advising appointment. Drop a note in the chat app at https://GenealogicalStudies.com or call 800.580.0165 x1. Follow us on Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. *Note: Please be aware our social media accounts are monitored regularly, but NOT 24/7. If you have any questions, please contact the office directly. Contact information:1 (800) 580-0165 x1 for student advisingWebsite: www.GenealogicalStudies.comBlog: blog.GenealogicalStudies.com

Transcription Tuesday – Colonial Records

One of The National Institute for Genealogical Studies courses that requires a good foundation of Transcription Skills, is our Research: US Colonial New England Ancestors course. The next course is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 3rd, 2022. To check for future start dates, look under the Register tab on the course web page, or check the Course Calendar here. Research: U.S. Colonial New England Ancestors Course Description: This seven-module course will give the student a basic foundation to research using colonial records in New England. It focuses primarily on the most common records used for research. The student will learn about strategies for finding colonial New England records while incorporating colonial town records, colonial census records, colonial land records and maps, the colonial wars, religious records, and court documents. The student who undertakes this course should have familiarity with United States vital, religious, census, land and military records, as well as have a good knowledge of genealogical methodologies. Course Content This course introduces you to Colonial New England research through websites and state resources. It will provide strategies for finding Colonial New England records during the time period leading up to the American Revolution. As you discover these valuable and genealogically-rich documents, you will be faced with the major challenge of deciphering Colonial Handwriting. It is recommended to transcribe these documents to glean all the information they contain and every clue they provide. Transcriptions of the original documents will make future references a lot easier. Making Abstracts will be useful for a summary of what each document contains. To facilitate developing your Transcription Skills, we have two books to recommend: Reading Early American Handwriting by Kip Sperry Understanding Colonial Handwriting by Harriet Stryker-Rodda Both of these books are available to order through our online Genealogy Store on our website. Once you are ready to explore Colonial records, you should familiarize yourself with the area of your research. Build a timeline and record a brief history of the early settlement of the town. By building a location guide for each town, you will be able to gather information about which resources are available, including early genealogies that were created. Colonial Town Records are fascinating and include: Different Types of Colonial Town Records, Freemen and Inhabitancy, Town Officers, Town Business, Tax Records, Licenses, Ear Marks, Manumissions, School Records, and Poor Records; as well as Vital Records and Cemetery Records. There were Colonial Censuses taken. Some surviving records include: Published Census, Reconstructed Census Lists, and Census…

Final Countdown

Posted on December 19, 2021January 3, 2022
by Cheryl Levy
Leave a comment on Final Countdown

The Final Countdown is on at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Don’t miss this opportunity! Time is running out to take advantage of our 20% Discount on ALL of our courses and packages, including our certificate programs. This promotion is valid until December 20th at midnight EST. For the details about creating a package on your wish list, please see blog post here. Register for your next courses before the Registration Fees increase. This offer allows you to register for a certificate program, create a package with just the right courses for your 2022 genealogy education plan to succeed, or order an individual course on the research topic you are most curious about. This also includes our newest DNA and Genetic Genealogy Certificate courses. Set your plan for success. Please contact us if you have any questions about our online genealogy courses, or our Professional Learning Certificate program. We are here to help you to succeed with your genealogy education goals in 2022! —————————————————- Visit our website for a complete list of online courses offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Check our Course Calendar here. Follow us on Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. *Note: Please be aware our social media accounts are monitored regularly, but NOT 24/7. If you have any questions, please contact the office directly. Contact information:1 (800) 580-0165Email: admin@GenealogicalStudies.com Website: www.GenealogicalStudies.comBlog: blog.GenealogicalStudies.com LEADERS IN ONLINE GENEALOGY EDUCATION since 1997