The Family Tree
By Terence L. Day
Terence L. Day, genealogist and journalist, is on the Washington State University faculty. He welcomes e-mail at genealogy@moscow.com, or regular mail in care of the Tri-City Herald City newsroom, P.O. Box 2608, Tri-Cities, WA 99302-2608.
At times, a professional genealogist is needed
This story was published May 23, 1999
Most genealogists are addicted to the hunt and want to do all the chasing themselves, barking up every tree and pawing the earth for every root.
But there comes a time when it is prudent to hire a professional.
Few of us know how to go about such an undertaking.
It can be as intimidating as looking for a new doctor or a lawyer. How do you know what you're getting?
I recommend you get hold of the Directory of Professional Genealogists, published by the Association of Professional Genealogists.
The 20th anniversary edition, for 1999-2000, recently came off the presses.
Check your local Family History Center, operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or your local public library. If they don't have a copy, write to the APG, P.O. Box 40393, Denver, Colo. 80204-0393.
The directory not only gives addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of genealogists for hire, but also has an excellent article up front on how to go about hiring a genealogist.
As of Dec. 31, 1998, the APG had 1,132 members. Directory listings tell how to contact individual researchers, indicate whether they currently accept new clients and briefly describe their research specialties, geographic specialties, related services and any foreign languages that they do research in.
There are many reasons why a genealogist would want to hire a professional.
While the genealogical resources of the Mormon Church's Family History Library and more than 3,000 branch centers are enormous, not all research can be done in these facilities.
Sometimes, research has to be conducted where ancestors lived. Sometimes a difficult problem exceeds the ability of an amateur genealogists.
Indeed, some problems are so difficult the services of a highly specialized and skilled genealogist are required. Sometimes a genealogist may be in a bit of a hurry and want to speed a project along and sometimes a genealogical project is simply too big for one person to accomplish alone.
If you are hiring a professional, be sure to check their credentials and ask for references. And don't be too timid to check those references.
Professionals responding to a survey for the APG directory listed prices ranging from $15 to $100 per hour, with most running $25-50.
I have hired professionals at both ends of the spectrum, including one who provided much valuable information for a little under $15 an hour. I've also paid $100 an hour for an analysis of a difficult research project, but then pursued the actual research myself.
It is very important you enter into a written agreement with your professional. It should describe the services they will provide, such as a list of sources researched, factual information found, analysis of sources found, etc.
And it should establish clear limits on how much you are willing to pay.
Honest differences of opinion may result from misunderstandings between customer and client. The APG offers confidential arbitration if the professional genealogist is an APG member.
If you want to stop research short of finding all that you asked the researcher to find, send a written termination notice and ask for a final report. In my experience, professional researchers will suggest termination of the project when they feel they have developed all of the information they are likely to find.
As with any genealogical correspondence, don't forget to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for replies.
When seeking a genealogist, don't be afraid to contact several. Recently, I wrote five professional genealogists who specialize in Wisconsin research. I hope to employ one and put him or her on the trail of my elusive, second great-grandfather, John Day. Of course I got their names and addresses from the APG directory.