Junk Genealogy Masquerades As The Truth
Things are seldom what they seem -Skim milk masquerades as cream.
Quotation by William S Gilbert (1836 – 1911)
Most genealogy enthusiasts, patrons, customers, vendors, and practitioners want the truth in data, products, and services. Whether these genealogy consumers are one of the few - a pre-qualified, practitioner-designated “professional genealogist” (earned status and experienced as a “pro”, or “expert”) or self-proclaimed as such; whether they are a commercial provider/vendor, a hobbyist, or a potential client; whether they do genealogy research, or write, blog, or teach about genealogy; whether they produce, promote, market, or distribute genealogy; or whether they use, buy, or sell genealogy data, products and services, the majority interested in genealogy today want to know who and what is real, true, and safe, and to be able to easily make the best and correct choices. With the coming of the Internet and the ensuing development of free computer and E-commerce genealogy and family history web-based businesses, databases, products, services, technologies, resources, and activities found on and offline, achieving these desires have become increasingly challenging in the field of Genealogy.
Why?
One of biggest problems facing family history consumers is junk genealogy masquerading as the truth. This is a direct consequence of the non-professionalization of the so-called profession of Professional Genealogy.
The required professional authority, criteria, and competency of authorized professional genealogists, needed to create the quality, integrity, and service of professional work and outcomes in business, commerce, and pro bono genealogy that is now so readily accessed on and off the Internet, must be set and maintained institutionally, and supported by qualified practitioner-designated “professional genealogists”. This has not happened yet in Professional Genealogy.
Only a very few practitioners have been willing to support the formation of such a profession in Professional Genealogy with standardized standards, methodology, ethics, best practices, and admission policies; and fewer still, to earn the available (emerging, but still non-standardized and not for pre-qualified professionals only) professional genealogy education, training, experience, competency, credentials, membership, and compliance that warrant the qualified-designation as “professional genealogist”. Without organized professionalism and its attendant standardization, how is junk genealogy to be unmasked? how can the consumer accurately determine genealogy and family history? and how does a consumer choose a qualified professional genealogy practitioner or reputable genealogy research services business, or provider of genealogy databases, products, and related services?
How?
As Vice President of HEIRLINES Family History & Genealogy, Inc., I have asked myself these same three questions. After briefly introducing Heirlines and its professional genealogy owners, over the next couple of blogs I will specifically address each of these questions and share our solutions with you, gained from our nearly 40 years experience in professional genealogy research services, providing verifiable forensic genealogy, in-depth genealogy and family history research, analysis, and reporting, databases, and genealogical information for our clients and the private and public domain family trees. If you have additional questions, please go to our website www.Heirlines.com and contact us using the Free Consultation Form. We will be happy to talk to you in greater detail about professional genealogy.
HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY, INC.
Ancestors are the People of History. Do you know who yours are?
Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY find your ancestry!
1-800-570-4049 ▪ www.heirlines.com ▪ PO Box 893 ▪ Salt Lake City, UT 84110
HEIRLINES Family History & Genealogy, Inc. is a full-service Professional Genealogy Research Services firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a BBB Accredited Business with Utah incorporation and Sandy City Business License compliance. HEIRLINES provides Certified Family Trees ™, Forensic Genealogy, Custom In-depth Research, Analysis, Reporting verifiable American and International Ancestry, LDS, Lineage Society, Ethnic and Minority Status, Pro – Pro, DNA Surname and Mitochondrial Studies, Family Health History, Corporate History, Consultation and other Professional Genealogy Research Services through for-hire contracted work. HEIRLINES primary, locally-accessed, professional genealogy repository is the #1 premier, world- renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Additional resources, sources, and databases are accessed through on-line corporate Internet accounts, qualified sub-contractors, and in-person onsite research at repositories worldwide.
A private family-owned corporation, HEIRLINES is led by President and Principal Genealogist, James W. Petty, AG®, CGSM. He is a member in good standing with the National Association of Professional Genealogists and local APG Salt Lake City, Utah chapter, since its first year, 1979. A commercial genealogy practitioner, Mr. Petty has had a full-time career “climbing the family tree professionally, since 1969”. As a qualified professional genealogist, James W. Petty, AG®, CGSM has set the professional standard for our Professional Genealogy Research Services company by earning his designation as “professional genealogist”. He has adhering to the most popular professional career path even though it has not been formally instituted or standardized for the Profession as a whole in genealogy today. As of the beginning of the 21st century it is available with quasi- professional standards, ethics, methodology, best practices, and admission policies including: Formal Education in Professional Genealogy Research; Formal Training in Professional Genealogy Research; Formal Experience in Professional Genealogy Research; Competency Testing and Maintained; Continuing Education, Business Compliance, Member of APG (as of 2009, this is not a profession-qualified members-only organization).
James W. Petty, AG, CG Professional Genealogy Career Path: 1969 - Present
• Full-time Career Professional Genealogist in occupation and emerging profession of Professional Genealogy Research Services: Education, Training, Experience, Credentials, Membership (1969-Present).
• Full-Time Career Professional Genealogy Research Career Experience - DBA as James W. Petty and James W. Petty, AG (1969-1979) ; then President and Owner HEIRLINES Family History & Genealogy, Inc. and DBA (1979 – present); E-Commerce website www.Heirlines.com (1998- present).
• Formal Education and Training in Genealogy Research - 1969 – 1973
• Graduate: BYU - B.A. History 1972, B. S. Genealogy 1973.
• Formal Experience in Professional Genealogy Employment: GSU/LDSGD/FHL: Field Operations, Reference Librarian, Researcher (1973-1980).
• Competency Tested Credentials Earned and Dates Maintained:
FHL/ICAPGen: AG®, Accredited Genealogist in 4 areas of specialty. (1971- Present);
BCG: CGSM , Certified Genealogist. (2005-present);
Previous Certifications: CALS, Certified American Lineage Specialist. (1983- 1988); CGRS, Certified Genealogical Records Specialist. (2000- 2005).
• Created Certified Family Trees ™, Historical Event Genealogy™, and the Jamestowne & Colonial Virginia Genealogy & DNA Project TM.
• Recipient of BCG Education Fund 2005 Donald Mosher Award.
• Instructor: Heritage Genealogy College; Salt Lake Community College, National, State and Local Genealogy Society Conferences.
• Internship Mentor: BYU, HGC, SLCC, Salt Lake Institute genealogy research students.
• Professional Genealogist, Forensic Genealogist, Researcher, Author, Columnist, Lecturer, Consultant, Expert Witness.
The ICAPGenSM service mark and the Accredited Genealogist® and the AG® certification marks are the sole property of the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists. All Rights Reserved.
CG and Certified Genealogist are Service Marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license after periodic evaluations by the Board.
Mary E. Petty, B.A. History BYU 1972, B.A. Genealogy HGC 2008, serves as Vice President of Heirlines. She has more than thirty- seven years’ experience in commercial genealogy research services, development, and project management: responsible for accounting, marketing, business development, and client/customer relations in consumer genealogical and historical research. Working along side James W. Petty, AG®, CGSM, Mrs. Petty has provided professional genealogy services including in-depth family tree research, consultation, special projects, and DNA genetic genealogy for individuals, family organizations, ethnic minorities, businesses, and law firms world-wide since 1972. Both she and Mr. Petty have served on the Utah Department of Health’s Family Health History Task Force and she is a member in good standing with National and the local Salt Lake City, Utah Chapter of APG. A published professional genealogy author, editor and family history branch librarian, Mary has continually worked to help clients, consumers, and amateur and professional genealogists have a better understanding of the professional genealogy industry, its potential, professionalism and professionalization. Her dream is to have a full-fledged profession in genealogy with standardized standards, ethics, methodology, best practices, and admission policies by 2020.
Submitted by Mary E. Petty, BA (History), BA (Genealogy)
●Ancestors are the People of History.● Do you know who yours are?
● Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY find your ancestry!
●1-800-570-4049 ● www.heirlines.com ● PO Box 893 ● Salt Lake City, UT 84110
© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.
