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In a field where there is such a tremendous exchange of vital information, research and documentation standards are not only a convenience, they're an absolute must! Family historians exchange research with countless others in countless ways. We copy information from books and databases, correspond with libraries, societies, and government offices. At times we even hire professionals to do legwork in distant areas, trusting them to solve important problems.

So how can a researcher be assured that he or she is producing or receiving reliable results? This official manual from the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) provides solid, time-honored standards by which all genealogists can pattern their work.

Since its foundation in 1964, the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) has promoted--in lectures and publications--attainable, uniform standards of competence and ethics that have become generally accepted throughout the field. This latest edition of the BCG Standards Manual has been painstakingly prepared to clarify, codify, and organize the standards and make them readily accessible to all. The BCG standards of competence extend to all phases of a genealogical research project, namely, collecting the information, evaluating the evidence, compiling the results, as well as to the teaching of genealogy. Following is a list of the contents of this invaluable manual:

INTRODUCTION
-When Standards Apply

-RESEARCH STANDARDS
- The Genealogical Proof Standard
- Data-Collection Standards
- Evidence-Evaluation Standards
- Compilation Standards

TEACHING STANDARDS
- Standards for Lecturers
- Standards for Instructors
- Standards for Educational Writers

GENEALOGICAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
- Continuing Education Standards

APPENDIXES
- The Genealogist's Code
- The Board for Certification of Genealogists
- Example Reports Example Proof Summaries
- Example Compiled Lineages

EXAMPLE COMPILED PEDIGREES
- Example Compiled Genealogies

INDEX

Also see the following related publications:
Evidence! Citation and Analysis for the Family Historian
Professional Genealogy

Reviews
"Anyone who wants to become a certified genealogist will need to read this book. Every other genealogist should read this book to see `how the pros do it.' Every genealogy software developer should read this book to see how printed reports are to be created. I would also suggest that every beginning genealogist should read this manual to see how to do it the right way. I wish I had read a book like this when I first started researching my family tree!"--Dick Eastman.