The (Online) Annals of Genealogical Research

Genealogy too often is practiced by simply collecting names and dates. To be blunt, that is not family history. By only collecting names and dates, many so-called genealogists are ignoring the wealth of information available about their ancestors. In fact, we all should study the lives of our ancestors in order to understand the times in which they lived and the factors that shaped their lives.

Scholarly genealogy journals have published true family histories for years. Examples include the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, The American Genealogist, the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and many others. These academic-quality publications typically contain compiled genealogies, case studies, essays on new methodology and little-known resources, critical reviews of current books, and previously unpublished source materials. Each such journal is full of citations to the sources of the data published.

These high-quality publications provide information that is difficult to obtain elsewhere. Most of them are published quarterly. The scholarly journals are not cheap. Many are published by genealogy societies for their members with dues or subscriptions varying from $40 to $75 per year. Subscribing to these journals is so expensive that private individuals typically limit themselves to one or two subscriptions.

Luckily, these journals can also be found in many well-equipped genealogy libraries. Very few libraries stock all of them, however. Even worse, if you do not live near such a major genealogy library or cannot easily visit a library during the hours it is open, your access to these journals is limited. As a result, too few genealogists read these excellent journals.

I have read many claims that genealogy is the most popular or second or third most popular subject on the Internet. I have looked at tens of thousands of genealogy-related web sites. It strikes me that almost all of them are less than scholarly, to say the least. Until now, none of the online genealogy sites seem to exhibit the quality of the respected printed journals.

Conversely, most genealogy web sites are either free or inexpensive. They are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, genealogists typically read many more web sites than genealogy journals.

Any web site containing family history should be accompanied by proper documentation. Citing the sources of information allows the reader to have confidence in correct data and to become suspicious of questionable data.

The Annals of Genealogical Research is a brand-new web site that provides an open access journal for genealogy and family history. Volume 1, Number 1 has just appeared with three articles, all of which appear to be the online academic equivalent of articles published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, The American Genealogist, the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and other, similar journals.

The three articles in the first edition of Annals of Genealogical Research include:

• A Sketch of Peter Van Camp (1721-1783) by Robert Scott Shaw 
• Josiah Hulet - Early Sandisfield Settler by Ron Bernard 
• The Family of Antonio Amelio Diaz Peña and Angeline Arenda Barrocluff by Sally Congdon Leete 

The articles in this first edition are heavily footnoted with citations and lists of references. In short, the quality of these first three articles appears to be on a par with those that appear in today's scholarly printed genealogy journals.

The Annals of Genealogical Research apparently is a one-person effort at this time. Robert S. Shaw of Cupertino, California is listed as the owner and publisher. You will note that he is also the author of one of the three articles that appears in this first edition. Quoting from Annals of Genealogical Research web site:

This journal has been established to provide an online site suitable for researchers to present and preserve their findings in genealogy. Although there are a good number of genealogical journals available in print form, there are not many accessible via the internet. This lack seemed much in need of correction.

The internet provides an enormously useful tool, and for genealogy many types of resources have been established. Communication between researchers by email and discussion boards is suitably supported, and access to basic data sources is growing.

For publication of research results, however, the internet has not yet been well utilized. Sites on the internet tend to be ephemeral and scattered. Their very existence usually depends on continued support from their authors and often from a commercial enterprise. Perhaps because of this, relatively few authors feel it worthwhile to provide good documentation of their results online. Yet without supporting documentation, genealogical findings are reduced to being little more than written rumor.

The internet has excellent potential for research publication, especially in genealogy. As a communication mechanism, it has a much wider reach than a print method could ever be hoped to have. Through integration with search technology, it allows discovery of very narrowly-focused articles in a mass of information. It can allow citations to be easily made and accessed. Although we can expect that paper publication will remain important for the foreseeable future to ensure preservation of results, eventually online publication has the potential of being an effective method of long-term preservation as well.

The typical lack of source documentation given in online genealogical information today is also of great concern. For research to be useful to others, it needs to be accompanied by traceable references (not just "Bob's GEDCOM"). A side effect of this, but an important one, is that documentation helps to give credit where it is due, which encourages further sharing.

All the foregoing led to setting up the Annals. We are still early in the internet age, and this young journal can be expected to evolve. It is hoped that the genealogical community will find it useful.

The Annals of Genealogical Research accepts short or medium-length articles in genealogy and family history. There are no geographical restrictions. The papers must be in English, and data on living persons should not be included. The main requirement for articles is that adequate source documentation be included for the data and conclusions that are presented.

The Annals of Genealogical Research obviously wants to become the online equivalent of today's printed academic genealogy journals. This is a lofty goal. Will it succeed? Only time will tell but the Annals appears to be off to a good start.

It is interesting to note that The Annals of Genealogical Research is available on the web free of charge, a rather startling challenge to the expensive printed journals. Again quoting the web site:

The Annals of Genealogical Research is supported by donations of time, effort, and money. At present we are not seeking money or editorial help, but if use of the journal grows we would be likely to do so in the future.

The first edition of The Annals of Genealogical Research shows an excellent beginning. I hope that the Annals succeeds and grows. You can watch this fledging online publication at http://www.genlit.org

Comments

[Jack Coffee]

I agree that there is a problem with many people that you refer to as "so-called genealogists." Many copy and paste the myriad collection of genealogies available on-line without checking facts. Many then turn around and re-post that often erroneous information onto a website of their own creation. Nary a source is to be found save perhaps one referring to a mysterious Smith.ged or Jones.ftw.

Fortunately, a lot of us know about the lack of scholarly work (apparent by omission of any meaningful sources), so we typically ignore those sites.

I doubt that many of us, particularly those outside of New England have any use for membership in the NEGHS, or any of the other similar "elitist" groups currently charging outrageous membership fees. After years of research many of us are still struggling just to find GG-grandpa's father, and spend many sight testing hours scanning poorly filmed census records.

At the same time we are learning about our ancestors and their contemporaries without paying some "expert researcher" an outrageous speaking fee to tell us what we already know.

We know that many of our ancestors were farmers and most fought in the Civil War. We have a few letters, photographs, and the like to remind us of what they looked like, and how they lived. Some of us are fortunate enough to find photographs of old homesteads. Many of us have traveled miles over back roads to find graves and old home sites.

Don't labor under any delusions that we do not know our family histories. Many, if not most of us know the history of our ancestors. And, do not forget that a vast number of researchers are not on the internet, preferring instead to remain patrons of our local libraries, and burn gasoline traveling from county to county in an effort to find that lost ancestor. He, or she is likely NOT going to show up in a publication such as the NEGHS sells.

Just because you can't find true family histories on the websites that you have visited, doesn't mean that they do not exist. You might want to visit libraries and archives across the country and check the number of published family histories shelved there!

Many of us belong to local and not-so local genealogical societies throughout the United States. These societies do remarkable work by publishing cemetery records, marriage records, and such. They are generally happy to help a researcher via e-mail or the "old fashioned" way when an SASE is provided. Subscriptions to their newsletters are typically $10-$12/yr and we are happy to pay that.

I don't know what NEGHS charges for a membership these days, but I doubt that it's as low as $10/yr.

And finally, there are many of us who provide guidance and assistance for free, that in an effort to help straighten out some of those erroneous internet files.

[Chris Dunham]

Jack:
I'm not sure why you consider NEHGS an elitist organization. When I joined, they were far more interested in my credit-card number than my pedigree. True, if you don't have New England roots you probably won't need to read the Register or visit the NEHGS website (though some of their databases, like "The Search for Missing Friends," are aimed at a broader audience). On the other hand, many genealogists enjoy reading rigorously researched articles on families they're not related to—if only to pick up new research strategies, and learn of new sources of information. Half of my ancestral lines ran through Massachusetts, but only a handful of my ancestors have ever appeared in the Register. That doesn't stop me from reading it cover to cover four times a year.

As for NEHGS's "outrageous" membership fee, for $75 you get subscriptions to New England Ancestors and The Register, use of the Research Library in Boston (one of the finest genealogical research centers in the country), and access to their website (including the incredible 1841-1910 Massachusetts Vital Records database). Just recently they added access to "Early American Newspapers, 1690-1876," and Dick hinted back in August of good things to come:
http://eogn.typepad.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2005/08/nehgs_to_shut_d.html

It's not elitist to promote and follow high standards. It's not elitist to offer benefits not everyone will benefit from. And it's not elitist to charge a membership fee. NEHGS is not meant to replace your local historical society or library, but to complement it.

[Jack Coffee]

Elite means a group or part of a group regarded as the finest, best, most distinguished, most powerful, etc. (Websters New World).

[Chris Dunham]

"Elitist" has connotations far beyond the definition of "elite." It connotes snobbery and exclusionary practices. If you meant to recognize NEHGS as an elite organization, then I would agree.

[Jack Coffee]

I was referring to your characterization of this organization as one that researchers should belong to, or otherwise be labelled as "so-called genealogists."

Because you often take compensation in some form or another from the organizations and companies that you promote, it's difficult to determine when you are "pushing" them on their merits or because you were paid to do it.

[Dick Eastman]

One comment just to clear the air: I have never been paid to "push" any society or product.

- Dick Eastman

[Kathy Amoroso]

I have to say that without publications like the NEHGS's Register, TAG, RIHR, and many others (I find articles through PERSI), I would not have been able to track down all the wonderful records that their articles properly cite. So many published genealogies, even today, do not have their sources cited. I find it sad that many historians and librarians do NOT consider genealogists as historians, but I can see why if they are not careful about citing sources. The journals that some of the big organizations put out (and many little ones too) have been invaluable!! I don't get paid to push any of these and I recommend them to all serious family historians.

[Margaret Nex]

I live on Vancouver Island, Canada, and belong to the New England Historic and Genealogical Society...I am a senior citizen and have found this site to be a wonderful site, and in researching both my husband's and my families, have data that I otherwise would not be able to research. Money and travel are one of the major obstacles, but by being a member, I am able to find the data, and then pursue other avenues to get the certificates, history of the area where they lived, and where they came from. I suppose we could call ourselves (as genealogists) 'elitists', as we are a very special, well-known, and important group, not necessarily being rich financially, but rich in our knowledge gained in our research...