On the spur of the moment last week I enrolled in the "Australian & NZ Genealogy" course.
The course notes are in .pdf format and password protected but it is an easy matter to donwload copies onto one's computer for reference.
I have just completed Lesson1 : Introduction. Although I didn't learn much I found the material well written and organised with welcome touches of humour. The attached reading list is quite extensive and a wonderful resource to have. As someone who is entranced by technology I was taken aback by the discussion of organising one's research with its focus on hard copy but I realise that many beginning family historians don't share my enthusiasm for techie toys. This lesson had small practical tasks scattered through its pages; as I have a comprehensive family tree I skipped these exercises that would be most useful to a beginning genealogist.
Phew! I have just finished reading Lesson 2: Historical & Geographical Background, a fairly dry topic.. In this 33 page lesson one is given a potted history of Australia and New Zealand since European discovery and settlement. As my knowledge of New Zealand's history is scant I found this information most illuminating.
I look forward to Monday when I can access my next week's lessons on Births, Deaths and Marriages.
I do say in my lesson that personally I use a genealogy program, to record my data and research and also to organise my documents (physical as well as electronic files).
ReplyDeleteHowever someone new to family history research might not start using genealogy software initially (or at all) and they also need to be organised.
"Organisation that works" will vary significantly between individuals, partly (but not only) depending on how much (and which) technology they choose to use. The point is to *be* organised.