Courses – Page 67 – International Institute of Genealogical Studies

Copyright, Plagiarism, And Fair Use: A Genealogist’s Not So Simple Guide To The Truth

By Shannon Combs Bennett, Student For those of you who have read my blog posts here for the past 2 years you are going to realize this post is different from my past posts. Today’s post is a subject that I am not sure gets enough real coverage in the genealogical field. I don’t want you to feel like I am beating the proverbial dead horse here, but since it is still brought up, maybe there is a disconnect on the issue somewhere. We all know that we shouldn’t plagiarize. We all know that there is this thing out there called “fair use.” But what those terms actually mean seems to be where the confusion lies. As an example, a friend recently posted on Facebook a conversation she had with a stranger. She graciously wrote the encounter up and allowed me to republish it here (for privacy reasons, please do not tag her name if you know who it is): I spoke with a woman this morning who had recently taken down her business blogs because she was tired of people complaining about copyright infringement over her using pictures from magazines and things she’d found online. After all, she said rather indignantly, why would they put things online if they didn’t want people to copy and use them? [Let me just insert my gratitude here for our knowledgeable and conscientious genealogy community] Or here is a favorite thing once said to me: It’s my family! Why shouldn’t I be allowed to copy, paste, and reuse or republish what I find online? That person doesn’t REALLY own it. We all do!! Either of those sound familiar? Many people are confused primarily by what is right or wrong. It would be nice if this issue was purely black and white, but unfortunately there are a few shades of gray thrown in. I have heard people state that if you are not sure if you should do something, don’t do it. That would be the safest thing to do in any situation. However, there must be something in our subconscious (or for at least most people) that sends up that red flag. Where do we turn to learn more about that choice? I don’t want to spend the next few years of my life becoming a copyright attorney but it would be great to at least have a cheat sheet! In the case…

More To Think About In Nuts & Bolts

by Shannon Combs Bennett, Student What do you think the hardest part of writing is? Maybe you find the ideas or planning hard. For me, it is the editing. Self-editing and proof reading are my downfall on many projects. Not only do I find it tedious and boring, the further my writing is away from my “natural” voice the more difficult I find it to correct. English class was never my best subject in school. Editing is a necessity though for anyone who wants to do any type of writing. In the last module of the course Skill Building: Nuts & Bolts of Reporting Research we are taught about everything you need to think about while you are writing your research. While the list may seem long and intimidating, in the syllabus it is quite a wonderful list to go through. Trust me. One important thing to keep in mind is, do you have permission to publish certain items? Now, if it is for your files you may not be as concerned about this aspect, but remember citing your sources is vital. If you ever want to publish your work (online or in print) and it contains anything from another person you must get their permission to reprint it. No exceptions. I was excited that this subject was covered because it can be confusing for many people. Finally the list of suggested reading was excellent. I have added the suggestions to my list of worthwhile books and articles. Yes, another guide I have created. Books, articles, lists of things that are good to re-read or share with others. Needless to say I was very happy and impressed with this course. I learned a few things from a different aspect and filled in more holes. Yes, sometimes I have to hear things multiple times before it sticks. It is just the way I work. Now, off to write! Those ancestors are not going to report on themselves after all.

Nuts and Bolts of Report Writing

by Shannon Combs Bennett, Student Well, this is when we get into the meat and bones of the course Skill Building: Nuts & Bolts of Reporting Research. Report writing. Now don’t be scared or nervous. This was a great section on all the why’s and how’s for you to become a great report writer. Before that however you need to plan your research. The section on research planning, complete with example case studies, was an excellent outline of how the process should work. We all know, or should know, that you need to have the ground work of good research laid out before you can build your report. But, how do you do that? It is a combination of many smaller things that when merged together create a solid case for your writing. Through the research planning section of this module the process is laid out nicely step-by-step. Complete with online, and off line, resources for you to consult. The breakdown of the types of reports out there I think will be very helpful to anyone who has never created one before. For those of you who don’t know, or just need a refresher, the types of reports you can create are: Narrative Software formatted Letter Formal Depending on your background these may have varying degrees of difficulty for you. That is ok, too. For instance I tend to enjoy writing formal reports and have very little experience using software programs to generate reports. This is where the case study comes into play. It gave me great practice into how to layout, plan, and write. I bet you will find it useful too. See you online!

The Nuts and Bolts of Research Guides

By Shannon Combs Bennett, Student Well Modulus 1 and 2 are under my belt for the course Skill Building: Nuts and Bolts of Reporting Research and I am happy to say they covered two of my favorite topics: citations and guides. You are probably wondering what the big deal is?! We all know how important citations are but guides, what do you mean? If you have never made a research guide then you are in for a treat. Guides are a wonderful resource for you as a researcher. I learned that many years ago, and continue to create them for places I go to do research. However, I have discovered that many researchers do not do this and, to be honest, I think research would be a lot easier for them if they did. You can create a guide for a specific place (town, county, state, and country), a repository, type of publication, or really anything else that you reference or use frequently in your research. As a living document (i.e. one that is designed to grow and change over time) you can start small and build on your experiences making sure all the pertinent information you need to be successful is listed there. I have several types of guides on my computer as well as in my filing cabinet. My computer documents contain ideas, website information, checklists I have created, resources that I keep track of, etc. In the cabinet I keep facility/tourist brochures, handouts that I get while on site, or other non-electronic information that I collect for that guide. Needless to say I picked up a couple more ideas for my guides from this module. I know you will like it too! On to the next lesson. See you online!

Starting: Nuts and Bolts of Reporting Research

By Shannon Combs Bennett, Student One of the most important skills a researcher needs to have under their belt is how to report the information they uncover. While there are various writing styles and types of reports to choose from there are specific items that need to be covered so your reports represent your best work. Which is why I was very excited to see a new course offered in the Skill Building track, Nuts and Bolts of Reporting Research. While I enjoy writing blog posts and articles, reports can be like pulling teeth at times. Reports are necessary however, even if you never take a paying client in your life. Technically, your family are your clients. I am sure you have heard that we should document our own research the way we would want a professional too. So, that means you should really be writing reports for yourself, your loved ones, and your files. Looking over the syllabus it looks like instructor Leslie Brinkley Lawson makes it easy and simple for everyone to learn. While some of it looks like review (or maybe you have attended lectures on the topic) there are also a few gems in there. Practical exercises are always a wonderful way to practice, learn, and hone your skills. Exercises and case studies are exciting additions to a course and I was thrilled to see them both being used in this course. Case studies are excellent ways to learn from someone else’s experience. For those who enjoy writing it also looks like the last module covers various types. While I find the thought of writing an article for the Register or NGSQ stomach turning, I do know many who want to do that at some point in their life. That’s right, you can write more than just blogs and reports in this line of work! One note, there is required books/readings for this course. Some articles/books are online or available through inter-library loan. You may purchase the books through The National Institute’s GenealogyStore. All of the books are excellent additions to your bookshelf. They include: Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace Genealogy Standards Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers and Librarians Which means I am off to try my hand at learning more about reporting my research. Maybe it will help me make sure I have ideas for my own…