Professional Level Genealogists and Computers

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/05/22/32el-studentresearch.h32.html

It is very difficult to make generalizations about computer usage and professional-level genealogists, but my own very personal observations on the subject lead me to believe that many professional-level genealogists do not not have an equal level of computer and online expertise. What is clear is that there is no mention of or requirement of computer competency in any of the accreditation or certification requirements. Many of the older "professionals" acquired their skills long before computers became a vital part of any research effort.

There is no direct relationship between computer literacy and computer research skills. Just because a person, no matter what age, can efficiently operate a computer does not necessarily mean they have any computer or online research skills. Likewise, a high level of traditional research competency does not mean that the person possesses any level of computerized research skills. In my own experience with attorneys, there were attorneys who had a very professional level of legal research skills who could not use a computer at all and totally lacked keyboarding ability. Likewise, I run into the same limitations with all types of professionals including university professors and other academically oriented individuals.

There are several essential skills that separate traditional research skills from those analogous activities that are computer-based. Some of the skills I learned in libraries over the years stand me in good stead and help me with my computer-based research. Here is my suggested breakdown of the two skill areas with a focus on humanities, not scientific, skills.

Traditional Research Skills

• Formulate a research objective
• Locate sources of information applicable to the objective
• Investigate a variety of sources 
• Analyze the information found and consider both positive and negative information about the objedtive
• Organize and evaluate the information and include all pertinent information whether or not it supports the objective
• Draw well reasoned and insightful conclusions 
• Adequately communicate your conclusions with supporting citations to the origins of the information

At this point you could well maintain that all of these particular skills would be required for any historical or genealogical inquiry. But you can see how adding some simple qualifiers to each of the items on the list will considerably change the tasks.

• Formulate a research objective on a computer
• Locate sources of information applicable to the objective on the Internet
• Investigate a variety of sources on the Internet
• Analyze the information found and consider both positive and negative information about the objective in a computer program
• Organize and evaluate the information and include all pertinent information whether or not it supports the objective in a computer program
• Draw well reasoned and insightful conclusions 
• Adequately communicate your conclusions with supporting citations to the origins of the information on a computer program

The immediate response is that none of this has to be done on a computer. But the fact is that among the university students I see almost every day, all of their work is computer-based. Another obvious response will come from genealogists who are already doing much of their work on a computer, that there are parts of their research processes that they "prefer" to do on paper and that they do not relate well to some tasks if they are done on a computer. This is likely true, but it is still evident that much of what we have available to us as genealogists for research is already computer based or will be in the future. 

We are in a transitionary time and this whole discussion will become moot as time passes. I am guessing that it will not be long before the idea of doing research, except with a residual of paper-based sources, without a computer will be so common that the contrary, doing research on paper will seem archaic. The image at the beginning of this post illustrates the huge difference between the concerns of educators about online research as opposed to what is considered traditional research. 

If you would like to get an insight into what young people are being taught today about doing research, see the following websites.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Rss, and Blogs. “Research Skill Development for Curriculum Design and Assessment.” Accessed February 8, 2016. http://www.adelaide.edu.au/rsd/.

Manager, Academic Skills & Learning Centre. “Research Skills - Academic Skills & Learning Centre - ANU - Academic Skills & Learning Centre - ANU.” Accessed February 8, 2016. https://academicskills.anu.edu.au/resources/listing/95.

O’hanlon, Leslie Harris. “Teaching Students Better Online Research Skills - Education Week.” Education Week, May 22, 2013. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/05/22/32el-studentresearch.h32.html.

“The 6 Online Research Skills Your Students Need | Scholastic.com.” Scholastic Teachers. Accessed February 8, 2016. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/6-online-research-skills-your-students-need.