Table of Contents

Professional Genealogy is a manual by professionals for everyone serious about genealogy. For family historians who want to do their own study, reliably, it describes the standards. For hobbyists, attorneys, and medical scientists who seek professional researchers, it's a consumer guide that defines quality and facilitates choices. For librarians who struggle to help a whole new class of patrons, it provides a bridge to the methods, sources, and minutiae of "history, up-close and personal." For established genealogical professionals, it offers benchmarks by which they can advance their skills and places their businesses on sounder footing. And for all those who dream of turning a fascinating hobby into a successful career, Professional Genealogy details the preparation and the processes.

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