Find and analyse genealogical sources, and tell your family’s forgotten story

This online course will develop your understanding of genealogy techniques and how to communicate your family history.

You’ll start by defining what you want to research, before considering the best ways to find and analyse sources, and store and record what you find. You’ll look at the challenge of locating the right ancestor, including the potential of DNA testing in genealogy.

Finally, we’ll introduce the main tools that genealogists use to communicate their research, including creating a family tree, and show you how to write a meaningful family history, incorporating historical context.

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What topics will you cover?

A consideration of the differences between primary, derived primary and secondary sources.
An understanding of the importance of knowing who made a document and why and how they were created.
Lateral ways to approach research including the FAN/cluster technique and mind mapping.
Primary source databases including searching techniques to deal with name change or spelling differences; these include the use of wildcards.
An introduction to main source types including civil, church, census and military records to give a sense of the typical type of data these records contain and how to use them.
Review the content of major international and selected local and specialised databases and consider ways to evaluate datebases.
The principles of the Genealogical Proof Standard including how to establish proof and how to evaluate evidence.
The use of DNA testing in genealogical research with a focus on Y-testing techniques.
An exploration of secondary and primary sources which provide historic and social context, considering their quality and how to find them.
The importance of providing evidence of the sources used in family history research and an exploration of the various systems of referencing in use.
A consideration of tools used to store, track and analyse genealogical data; various types of family trees and reports including paper based resources, software programs and online tools.
What are the best ways to begin writing a family history?
Ways to protect and preserve physical records and digital data.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Design a research plan for tracing family history.
Apply key techniques used when searching for and analysing genealogical records.
Describe the differences between genealogical source types and why they may cause problems for the researcher.
Develop an awareness of the use of historic and social context in family history research.
Develop an understanding of the ways in which genealogical information can be recorded and communicated.

Who is the course for?

This online genealogy course does not concentrate on a specific country’s records or how to source these, so it will be useful for anyone around the world. It is ideal if you:

have no experience with genealogy or family history research;
have some experience with genealogical research, but want to develop your skills and knowledge further;
are a more experienced genealogical researcher with limited access to training and development, who wants to learn new techniques.

The knowledge you gain from Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree may prompt you to explore family history research more deeply or consider a career as a professional genealogist.

You may even wish to take your learning further, with the University of Strathclyde’s online MSc in Genealogical Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies.

What do people say about this course?

"The Genealogy course was brilliant, it updated my knowledge in the general area of Genealogy which I have been studying as a hobbyist since 1962, but most importantly it dealt with very modern systems such as DNA research which had been a closed book for my research and now I have embraced those new technologies freely and feel very empowered to take my hobby into a new, refreshed ‘second wind’. "

Neil Spurgeon

Who will you learn with?

Tahitia McCabe

I am a genealogist and educator based at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland and am Course Leader for the MSc in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies (distance learning).

Who developed the course?

University of Strathclyde

The University of Strathclyde is a leading international technological university located in Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city, committed to useful learning.

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