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Foundations: The Research Process
Building a Strong Genealogical Research Process
A successful research project rarely comes down to a single record. It depends on having a clear process—knowing what to do next, how to evaluate information, and when enough evidence has been gathered to reach a conclusion.
Foundations: The Research Process focuses on building that structure.
Throughout the course, participants work through a research project of their own, applying each step of the process in sequence. From forming a research question to assembling, analyzing, and correlating evidence, the emphasis is on developing a repeatable method for solving genealogical problems.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Develop clear and focused research questions
- Organize and evaluate starting information
- Identify gaps and plan effective next steps
- Analyze and correlate evidence across sources
- Maintain organized research logs and workflows
- Determine when a question has been sufficiently answered
- Write clear conclusions and research reports
The course also introduces tools and strategies that support the process, including mind mapping, locality research, and methods for organizing ongoing work.
Rather than focusing on individual record types, this course provides the framework that makes all research more effective. It is particularly valuable for those who want to move beyond searching for records toward conducting purposeful, well-structured research.