Hiring a professional for genealogy research

Do I need to consult with a professional for genealogy research?

Genealogy Research – You may be curious about your family history and while you may hope your family tree leads you to famous personalities others might want to know more about the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of their ancestors so as to keep this legacy alive.  Some even may embark themselves in genealogy research just for citizenship purposes, as some counties like Italy, have laws that allow descendants of Italian emigrants to get Italian citizenship provided they can give proof of their origins with their ancestors´ birth, marriage and death certificates. When this curiosity, cannot be any longer satisfied just with what you are able to search by yourself , is time to think about getting some professional help.

• Even if nowadays it is easy for anyone to get started in genealogy research as anybody can create an online tree or take a DNA test, at some point you will run out of things to search online. Genealogy research has become easier over the years due to the increase in the amount of information put at public disposal on the web, but there is still a lot of information offline, and to know what archive or library holds the records you need to take the next step is not easy.
• It may happens as well that at some point you find yourself  stuck for not being able to determine if a data found on line belongs to an ancestor or a homonymous person.
• Once exhausted your online sources, you might take a DNA test, but still conclusions need to be taken from the relationships revealed and you might find out that you do not have enough knowledge to get the right ones.

What does a genealogist do?

• A genealogist is a person who traces or studies the descent of persons or families and makes from this activity a way of living.
• Genealogists research both on line and offline, spending many hours on libraries and state offices, combing through old papers and documents on microfilm yet to be digitized and placed online.
• Nowadays, thanks to DNA tests like the ones offered by ancestry.com, they are able to analyze DNA results and work with matches to determine the validity of the research
• Thanks to DNA tests, they are also able to help people locate biological family members by comparing existing family trees of various cousins to identify biological family for adoptees.
• They do also work on conflicting evidence.
• Genealogists use to work on research projects with other genealogists and this team-working is good for all sides as genealogists have different skills and varying knowledge of records availability, thus collaboration makes their work faster and more effective.
• Most professional genealogists tend to specialize in specific geographic areas, time periods or types of research.

How much does a professional genealogy research cost?

Rates charged by genealogists vary widely. A researcher specializing in an area that not many researchers are competent in may charge more than researchers whose expertise is relatively common. Most genealogists charge an hourly rate plus expenses. Others charge a daily rate or a flat fee per project.

Most genealogists base their hourly rate on their education, training, skill, experience, and credentials. Rates may be as low as $20.00 per hour, but could be over $100.00 per hour. The average rate charged by most competent genealogists’ ranges from $35.00 to $60.00 per hour. Record searchers often charge between $15.00 and $25.00 per hour.[i]

Expenses usually include:

• Costs of copies of records, certificates, and other documents.
• Fees paid to other researchers to search records in distant cities.
• Field travel (auto, meals, lodging).
• Admission fees paid to courthouses, repositories, and other record facilities.

To keep control on your expenses you should:

• Provide your genealogist with as much information about your family as you reasonably can gather, so as to avoid making the professional duplicate work already done by yourself (give good photocopies, never your originals) .
• Clearly specify whether the genealogist can bill for additional services and under what conditions it is appropriate to do so.
• Break a large project into smaller tasks and pay periodically.
• Make other family members join you, so as to share costs.

Where do I find genealogy researchers for hire? Is it hard to get this information?

The keys to finding a good genealogist are the same as those for hiring other competent professionals.

• Reputable genealogical websites like Ancestry.com can help you finding a competent genealogist.

• In general each country has its own official Genealogical Society or even more than one. Googling the name of your city or state and “genealogy society” will help you locate those organizations. Genealogists are generally not required by law to be licensed or certified, but this kind of organizations usually gives them credentials and even offer arbitration if problems arise.

Find as follows a list of some relevant genealogy organizations:[ii]

• The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA)
  14 Charterhouse Buildings
  Goswell Road
  LONDON
  EC1M 7BA
  United Kingdom
  Contact form
  Web: agra.org.uk/

• The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)
  O. Box 40393
  Denver, CO 80204-0393
  United States of America
  Web: www.apgen.org/index.html

• The Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland (APGI)
  Email: info@apgi.ie
  Web: apgi.ie

• Australasian Association of Genealogists and Record Agents Inc (AAGRA)
  The Secretary,
  GPO Box 4401,
  MELBOURNE, Victoria, 3001
  Australia
  Email: info@aagra.asn.au
  Web: www.aagra.asn.au

•  Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG)
  PO Box 14291
  Washington, D.C. 20044
  United States of America
  Web: www.bcgcertification.org

• Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG)
  PO Box 260981
  Plano, TX 75026
  United States of America
  Contact form
  Web: www.forensicgenealogists.org

• The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen)
  PO Box 4464
  Salt Lake City, UT 84110-4464
  United States of America
  Telephone: toll-free 1-866-813-6729
  Email: information@icapgen.org
  Web: www.icapgen.org

I have already got a list of genealogists, how do I choose the right one for myself?

Before making up your mind for a particular genealogist, contact several whose skills and credentials seem appropriate (consider the genealogist´s areas of specialty, including language skills if needed) and discuss your research problem, the materials you already have, and what your goals are.  Try to seize the genealogist’s interest in your project.  You should also check the reporting procedure (you may even ask to see a sample report), rates and billing procedures. Just then, decide which one will best meet your needs.

Conclusions and final tips:

• Hire a professional genealogist whenever you need to take your genealogy research further away than you are capable of getting by your own means.
• If you cannot afford to hire one for a long term research try to have a professional genealogist take a look at your family tree and whatever you might have already done by yourself, and give you constructive feedback: you will learn more about your strengths and weaknesses as a genealogy researcher by seeing it through someone else’s eyes.
• Before hiring a professional genealogist, clarify your research problem and determine what you want the genealogist to do. If you define your research goals early, you are more likely to be satisfied with the results. [iii]

Sources:

[i] https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Hiring_a_Professional_Researcher

 

[ii] List taken from: https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Hiring_a_Professional_Researcher

iii Lifehacker – Career Spotlight, interview with Crista Cowan, genealogist who works with Ancestry.com  http://lifehacker.com/career-spotlight-what-i-do-as-a-genealogist-1711464950

By, Carmen Vazquez Sibils