"Genealogy (from Ancient Greek γενεαλογία (genealogía) 'the making of a pedigree') is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages."
Understanding the importance of ethical genealogical practices, such as respecting privacy and obtaining consent from living relatives before sharing information.
Ethics in Genealogy: The study of ethical issues and principles in genealogy research, including privacy, confidentiality, accuracy, and objectivity.
Genealogical Standards: The set of best practices, guidelines, and criteria for conducting genealogical research and presenting genealogical data.
Recordkeeping and Documentation: The process of keeping accurate and complete records of genealogical research, including documents, sources, citations, and annotations.
Family History Software: The software tools used for organizing, storing, and analyzing genealogical data and creating family trees and reports.
DNA Testing: The use of DNA technology in genealogy research to trace family relationships, confirm shared ancestry, and identify genetic diseases.
Online Genealogy Resources: The study of various online resources for genealogy research, including databases, archives, libraries, and search engines.
Genealogy Research Ethics: The ethical considerations related to genealogy research, including privacy, confidentiality, consent, and copyright.
Historical Context: The study of historical events, cultural norms, and social structures that shape family histories and genealogy research.
Legal Issues in Genealogy: The legal issues involved in genealogy research, including inheritance, property rights, and probate law.
DNA Privacy and Ethics: The ethical considerations related to DNA testing, including informed consent, data ownership, and privacy concerns.
Traditional Genealogy: This type of genealogy involves tracing one's ancestry by collecting and documenting family records and vital statistics like birth, marriage, and death certificates.
Genetic Genealogy: Genetic genealogy involves the use of DNA testing to determine family relationships and ancestry. DNA tests can reveal ancestry composition, identify genetic relatives, and connect individuals to specific biological lineages.
Adoptee Genealogy: This type of genealogy is specifically tailored for individuals who were adopted and are searching for their biological roots. Adoptee genealogy involves tracing the biological lineage of an individual by searching records and conducting genealogical research.
Heirloom Genealogy: Heirloom genealogy is about tracing the provenance and history of family heirlooms. This can involve tracking down the origins of significant family artifacts such as jewelry, furniture, or important documents.
Genealogy in Medicine: Medical genealogy uses family history information to help physicians and genetic counselors diagnose and treat genetic disorders. By understanding the genetic history of a patient, doctors can better advise on treatment and prevention.
National or Ethnic Genealogy: National or ethnic genealogy is concerned with tracing one's ethnic or national heritage. This involves researching family records to identify the origins of a family or particular social group.
Descendant Genealogy: Descendant genealogy focuses on tracing the descendants of a particular ancestor. This may involve documenting family history as well as conducting ongoing research to track the movement and development of a particular family lineage.
Genealogy of Land: Land genealogy involves tracing the ownership and history of a particular piece of land or property. Land genealogists may also track the spread and movement of particular families across different locations or properties over time.
Forensic Genealogy: Forensic genealogy uses genealogical research methods to solve legal or criminal cases. It includes tracing the family history of adoptees, identifying remains of missing and unidentified persons, and more.
"Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family."
"The record of genealogical work may be presented as a 'genealogy', a 'family history', or a 'family tree'."
"The field of family history is broader than genealogy, and covers not just lineage but also family and community history and biography."
"A family history may include additional biographical information, family traditions, and the like."
"The pursuit of family history and origins tends to be shaped by several motives, including the desire to carve out a place for one's family in the larger historical picture, a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for future generations, and self-satisfaction in accurate storytelling."
"Genealogy research is also performed for scholarly or forensic purposes, or to trace legal next of kin to inherit under intestacy laws."
"Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members."
"Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family."
"The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives."
"In the narrow sense, a 'genealogy' or a 'family tree' traces the descendants of one person."
"A family history traces the ancestors of one person."
"The terms 'genealogy' and 'family history' are often used interchangeably."
"The field of family history is broader than genealogy, and covers not just lineage but also family and community history and biography."
"...including the desire to carve out a place for one's family in the larger historical picture, a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for future generations, and self-satisfaction in accurate storytelling."
"A family history may include additional biographical information, family traditions, and the like."
"The pursuit of family history and origins tends to be shaped by several motives, including the desire to carve out a place for one's family in the larger historical picture..."
"Genealogy research is also performed for scholarly or forensic purposes, or to trace legal next of kin to inherit under intestacy laws."
"Genealogists use...records to...demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members."
"Genealogy research is also performed for scholarly or forensic purposes, or to trace legal next of kin to inherit under intestacy laws."