Entire books have been devoted to analyzing genealogical documents and evidence. Today’s post will not be anywhere near that extensive.

However, given that I’ve been in contact with several distant cousins who don’t have much experience delving into primary records – Yes, they are using “books” and online trees as their proof – I thought it would be helpful to share a few things I’ve learned along the way in my own research path. None of these tips are ground breakers, but might help less experienced researchers avoid some mistakes.

1. Delayed birth registrations might or might not be correct. When World War II began, a number of Americans and Canadians who had no birth certificate recorded at the time of their births, went to the clerk’s office with an older relative in tow who would swear they were present at the time the person was born on X date and X time to Mother X. some of those making the declarations were only 4 or 5 years older than the person requesting the creation of a birth registration. Even if it was the mother making the declaration, it’s possible that all the details are 100% correct, but it’s also possible that there might be one or more mistakes being recorded. Delayed registrations are just that – documents recorded long after the event took place and are not primary records.
2. Death certificates are in a similar category. A death registration is a primary record in terms of the name of the deceased and the date on which he/she died because death certificates are issued very soon after the death of a person. However, some of the details on modern death records are not primary information. Parents’ names, especially if the informant never knew them, might easily be incorrect. From my own first experience, I was thrilled to received the death certificate of my 3X great grandfather, George Tarbox, in the mail. It named his father – John Tarbox!!! The only problem was that George’s father died in 1860 far from Calais, Maine, where George was living. George’s wife predeceased George and his children were toddlers or not even yet born in 1860 and had never met their grandfather. After some digging in Maine records, it turns out that George’s birth was recorded in new Gloucester, Maine and his father was named William. So much for details on a death certificate. Ages are also often incorrectly recorded – either because the informant was unsure or the deceased had been secretive about age when they were living. Those details are secondary information.
3. Family Bibles are wonderful keepsakes to own, even more so if they contain handwritten family information. Be aware, though, if the information spans 100+ years and everything is written by one person or the Bible was published long after the events recorded in it, then the information was probably recorded from memory and needs to be verified.
4. Transcriptions of primary records and abstracts of the same place a middleman between us and the original record. Mistakes can be, and definitely are, made. Original records should always be checked.
5. This item doesn’t fit any one category, but is definitely a pet peeve of mine. Many online trees, and books, give middle names to people who lived long ago in a time and place where middle names were not commonly used. I’ve been contacted by a number of distant cousins who insist that the person had a middle name, but when I ask for a primary document that supports that name, they have none. Instead, it was “online” or “in a book.”
6. ThruLines actually fits with #5 above. ThruLines seems to make connections because of the names in online trees. If someone names (with no proof)their earliest ancestor “Xavier Johannes Doodlebug” and places that name in their online tree, then ThruLines offers that (often non-existent) person as the earliest ancestor with DNA connections below it. In my own ThruLines, someone conflated Rev. War Patriot and General John Starkey with another man and turned him into a Loyalist. yet, ThruLines makes it appear that everyone is descended from this conflated person. Evaluate the evidence!
7. Last, but definitely not least, we have Artificial Intelligence. As with unsourced trees, those who copy information, but don’t research and evaluate for themselves are accepting AI responses as being accurate. Guess what – Artificial Intelligence lies! Some say hallucinates, but by my thinking, if you challenge the answer and AI says “Yes, I made it up because I wanted to please you,” that is a lie!

There are so many ways to access excellent genealogical evidence today. We are so lucky, but, please, take the time to evaluate what you find. When was the record created and by whom? In what repository was the record found and why was the record created?

Be being a careful researcher, we won’t be duped by middle names that never existed, DNA ancestors who don’t exist or by online trees that are just copy and paste version of other incorrect trees.

I guess this was a mini-rant, which is now done. 🙂

There are so many events, programs and platforms available today that offer free or nearly free excellent opportunities for genealogy education.

However, if you are looking for advanced educational programs, there are more and more of those being offered, too.

First, let’s talk money. None of these programs are free and most range in price from $500+ to perhaps $3000. Therefore, many of the courses attract students who want to pursue a professional career in genealogy research, but there are students who have the time and money to invest and want to expand and sharpen research skills.

When are these programs offered? They are staggered throughout the year, likely on purpose so one event doesn’t conflict with another.

Let’s look at some of the week long courses:

1. Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy [SLIG] – SLIG is probably on e of the best known genealogy institutes. Currently, participants may attend the Fall, Spring or Virtual sessions. The January 2026 courses were offered virtually, but there are years when they are in-person experiences in Salt Lake City. When held in-person, classes run for five consecutive days. Virtually, they tend to meet online once per week for a number of weeks. Topics cover many facets of genealogy research/knowledge and experienced instructors are often well known in the genealogy community. Registration for each SLIG event opens at a different time. The January sessions begin registration in mid-June and fall registration opens in mid-May. Check the website (link above) if you are interested in learning more about upcoming classes. Cost is $545 per class, but UGA members receive a 10% discount.
2. GRIP Genealogy Institute [GRIP] – GRIP was purchased several years ago and is now owned by the National Genealogical Society. GRIP offers virtual classes in June and in-person classes in July. Similar to SLIG, GRIP offers one-week classes on specific topics with small classes and in-depth learning. Registration opens in February. Cost per class is about $600 with NGS members receiving a 5% discount.
3. Texas Institute of Genealogical Research [TIGR] – TIGR offers virtual courses both Texas-related and more general non-Texas connected classes, generally in June. Registration opens in April Cost is $495 per class with Texas State Genealogical Society members enjoying a discount to $445.
4. Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research [IGHR] – IGHR is another virtual-based opportunity for advanced, in-depth learning experiences. Classes are held in mid-summer. Registration opens in march. Cost is $545 with Georgia Genealogical Society members paying $495.
5. Genealogical Institute on Federal Records [GenFed] – GenFed is a slightly different program as it has as its focus only federal records and is held in-person in August. The class limit is capped at 40 students. This is an extremely popular program so registration is a bit different: Registration is held by drawing. Prospective applicants may apply to have their name drawn from the list of applicants during the two-week-long registration period. At the end of that time, a live online drawing for the available number of seats is held, plus a number of names for a waiting list for that year only. Cost is $650.

Each of these institutes has a reputation for high-quality programs taught by very qualified instructors. They attract a combination of enthusiastic researchers and those who specialize and/or attain a level of certified status for professional work.

There are only a handful of college-level genealogy programs on offer.

Brigham Young University – BYU offers a Family History/Genealogy bachelor’s program. Be sure to read the Family History Guidebook, as a major in Family History equals the work of other university-level major as part of a Bachelor’s degree. Cost is similar to tuition at other undergraduate schools. However, BYU is significantly more expensive for non-LDS Church members.

If your research interests are focused on the United Kingdom, there are three programs that might be of interest.

Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies [IHGS] – IHGS is located in Canterbury, England. This institute offers a variety of programs related to Heraldry and Genealogy on a continuous basis, including The Higher Certificate in Genealogy, which is a correspondence course. Also, be sure to look over the Course Syllabus page, which highlights the programs from the above certificate to DNA and Genetics, Heraldry and more. Cost is £2600 (about $3500 US) for the Higher Certificate.

University of Dundee, Scotland – This Scottish university offers several opportunities for in-depth genealogy education through its Centre for Archive and Information Studies (CAIS). This program includes a Masters degree (MLitt), a Postgraduate Certificate, and short courses, all of which are presented online. Tuition is £1,246 (about $1700 US) per 20 credits, plus a £49 (about $66 US) registration fee. Contact the school for further details about any other fees. For example, the fees for the MLitt break down as follows: For international students: £1,138 GBP per 20 credits, plus £2,110 for the dissertation. Keep in mind that tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% per year for the duration of the course.

University of Strathclyde, Scotland – This university, also in Scotland, offers a postgraduate degree in Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies with varying costs depending on the study format. For a full-time 18-month program, the cost is £10,868, which includes one year of classes plus the dissertation. Additionally, the university provides free online MOOCs and eight-week online classes, which begin in January, April and October) for a fee of £176.00 (about $238 US).

Before enrolling in any of these programs, do your due diligence and check out whether it/they meet your needs. Also, look for online reviews of the institute or university in which you are interested. Make sure that you are getting full value for your money and time, as these programs require a lot of both!

Summer is typically a time to relax and rewind. Daily life slows down as the heat index rises.

While many genealogical societies go on hiatus during the summer and online webinars slow down dramatically, your genealogical education doesn’t have to shut down until fall either.

There is noting better than sitting down – in the air conditioned house or by the pool – with a good book, so here are a few of my suggestions.

With the Semiquincentennial of the United States in full swing and Independence Day less than a month away, I’m delving into The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution by Zara Anishanslin (Kindle $18.12) which shares the stories of three artists who supported liberty at the time of the American Revolution. It’s not directly related to genealogy, but it’s an interesting read about the founding of the U.S.A.

Do you have American military women in your family tree? This book’s more of a reference, but necessary reading for those who have women who served. American Women and the U.S. Armed Forces: A Guide to the Records of Military Agencies in the National Archives Relating to American Women ($8.98, hardcover, used) by Charlotte Palmer Seeley, purdy and Gruber and published in 1992 provides 355 pages of information related to women and the American military.

Want to learn more about Artificial Intelligence (AI)? I’d recommend Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick, published in 2024 (Kindle $14.99). It doesn’t cover genealogy uses, but it’s an easy reading overview of AI and its predicted future.

Ancestoring: Understanding Records, Family, and Ourselves: Understanding Records, Family, and Ourselves: Understanding Records, Families, and Ourselves by Darcie Hind Posz, published in January 2026 (Paperback $34.95), provides a really unique way of looking at our ancestors’ lives, stepping back and taking the point of view of objects and events first. I recently reviewed this book and, for disclosure purposes, I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. If you are a serious researcher and caretaker of your family stories, if you buy only one book this year, I’d recommend this one!

A final book suggestion is The Foundling: The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me by Paul Joseph Fronczak (Kindle $9.99).

If you’re looking for something self-paced and more genealogy hands-on, check out Thomas MacEntee’s Genealogy Do Over Workbook, 2026 edition (Kindle $9.99 or Paperback $16.99). Thomas has included AI Assist features in this edition.

Another self-paced program I would recommend is Family Locket’s Research Like a Pro with AI, 2nd edition ($40.99). It is a bit expensive, but if you want to sharpen your genealogy research and writing skills with AI, this is the workbook you’ll want. There is a link to a Facebook support group provided when you buy the book, which is downloadable. I printed mine out, punched holes and put it is a soft cover binder for easy reference.

My last recommendations for summer genealogy education are FREE!

Podcasts are, for the most part, easy listening and there are some excellent genealogy podcasters out there.

Genealogy Gems with Lisa Louise Cooke
The Family Tree Magazine Genealogy Podcasts, also hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke
The Genealogy Guys Podcast with George G. Morgan and Drew Smith
The Family History AI Show with Mark Thompson and Steve Little

Legacy Family Tree Webinars does NOT take a summer break and their 2026 line up is fabulous. You must be a member to access recordings and handouts, but if you register and attend the live session, you can listen in for free.

Here is a sample of upcoming webinars in the next ten days:

As you can see, I’m into Canadian research at the moment as I delve into my Loyalist collateral lines.

Have you already made plans for your summer genealogy education? Leave a comment and share!