Solving Puzzles

 

Some are fortunate enough to find a job which consists in the solution of mysteries...

Chadwick, John. 2014. The Decipherment of Linear B. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107589032.

There are few intellectual challenges that require as many different skill sets as does genealogical research. At any given time, you may need to know how to read old handwritten records in a language that is not your own, and at the same time evaluate the geography and history of the places where your ancestors lived. On occasion, you might also be called upon to understand and use genetics by involving DNA matches. Sometimes, the effort can be overwhelming. Despite the innate difficulty in keeping all of these aspects together at the same time, there are those whose knowledge of the genealogical process leads them to believe that genealogy is easy or simple by claiming that all you have to do is fill in the blanks. This effort to minimize and dumb down genealogy is a disservice to those who have spent years of their lives acquiring the necessary skills. 

If you want to practice medicine or law, you will be required to attend years of schooling and pass difficult examinations. If you want to be a general building contractor, a truck driver, a schoolteacher, or any other job requiring a set of qualifications, you have to study and pass a certification examination. For genealogy, which requires an equal amount of knowledge and training, you can open an online family tree website and suddenly you become an expert at finding and adding your ancestral names because, as it is advertised over and over again, genealogy (family history) is so simple and fun that anyone can do it. 

Here in the United States, we just passed through another tax season. I have years of experience with advanced degrees as an attorney and as a business owner. I have difficulty understanding and accurately computing my U.S. taxes and can't understand how anyone with less education and lacking my background has a chance to understand the tax laws. At the same time, I find genealogical research to be just as complex and difficult as any tax code or law school exam. If I venture to express this opinion based on actual experience, I am accused of being elitist and exclusive. The irony of this situation is even more pronounced when you realize that there are thousands of videos, books, and classes that teach people who to search for their ancestors. But all these educational resources are voluntary. There are no entry requirements for claiming to be a genealogist. 

There are two organizations that certify and accredit genealogists, but these organizations are small and little-known outside of those who are intensely involved in genealogical research. The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists or ICAPGen.org has fewer than 200 listed professionals in the entire world. The Board for Certification of Genealogists or https://bcgcertification.org/, has about 260 certified members listed in the entire world. This is no reflection on the capabilities of any of these accredited or certified genealogists, but it does illustrate the fact that the vast majority of the people doing genealogy or family history are self-taught even though many of those who are self-taught are considered to be experts. 

Am I legislating for more accreditation and certification? Not really. But I do think that there should be so level of competency and recognition of the complexity of the pursuit of genealogical research.