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Course Schedule
| Date | Time | Price | Option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Please contact us at info@toptalentlearning.com or 469-721-6100 for this course schedule. |
Overview
Overview :
This course introduces the foundational skills, tools, and evidence standards used in genealogical research. Students start with their own family — interviewing relatives, organizing home sources, and setting research goals — before learning to build a research log, cite sources properly, and evaluate evidence for reliability using the Genealogical Proof Standard. Students learn to search major platforms including FamilySearch, Ancestry, and MyHeritage, and to locate and interpret vital, census, military, land, and tax records. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to conduct independent, well-documented genealogical research and build a verified family tree.
Week 1: Where to Begin
• Starting genealogical research at home: living relatives, family documents, and photographs
• Setting a focused, achievable research goal (SMART goal-setting)
• Building a pedigree chart and Family Group Sheet
Week 2: Record Keeping
• Building a research log, correspondence log, and note-taking system
• Evaluating a source by the purpose it was originally created for
• Introduction to timelines as a research tool
• Source citation: required elements and professional style guides
Week 3: Organization
• Choosing and maintaining a filing system (paper, digital, or hybrid) with a consistent naming convention
• A formal research process, including logging negative results
• Evaluating an imperfect or partial record match
• Overview of major genealogy research platforms (Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, Findmypast)
Week 4: Looking for Records
• Matching a research question to the correct record level: federal, state, county, or municipal
• A formal framework for evaluating a source’s reliability
• Full use of FamilySearch’s search tools, including wildcard and advanced technique
• Introduction to the Genealogical Proof Standard
Week 5: Birth and Marriage Records
• Locating and interpreting birth and marriage records by jurisdiction
• Distinguishing a certificate from the underlying registration
• Verifying an online index against the original record image
• Reading marriage records (banns, bonds, and licenses) for family evidence
Week 6: Death Records
• Reading a death certificate and assessing informant reliability
. Obituaries, funeral home records, and cemetery/burial records
• Estate and probate leads generated by a death record
• Requesting Social Security application records (Form SS-5) via FOIA
Week 7: Census Records
• Reading the federal census across its full 1790–1950 range
• Non-population schedules and state census substitutes
• Researching around the destroyed 1890 federal census
• A backward research strategy, most recent census to earliest
Week 8: Military Records
• Distinguishing militia/state military records from federal record systems
• Compiled Military Service Records, Official Military Personnel Files, and draft registration cards
• Pension files as a source of family detail
• Understanding the impact of the 1973 National Personnel Records Center fire on 20th-century service records
Week 9: Land, Deeds, and Tax Records
• Deeds, land grants, and mortgages as evidence of family relationships and migration
• Reading a historical tax list for embedded genealogical clues
• Military bounty-land warrants
Week 10: Wrap-Up: Next Steps in Your Research
• A survey of record types for continued study (immigration, newspapers, directories, voter records)
• Documenting and analyzing a found record using a personal research template
• Lineage-society research and documentation standards
• Applying the who/what/when/where/why/how framework as a closing research-planning habit
FAQ
What if I have to reschedule my class due to conflict?
Ten (10) business days’ notice is required to reschedule a class with no additional fees. Notify TOPTALENT LEARNING as soon as possible at 469-721-6100 or by written notification to info@toptalentlearning.com to avoid rescheduling penalties.
How do I enroll for this class?
Please contact our team at 469-721-6100; we will gladly guide you through the online purchasing process.
What happens once I purchase a class?
You will receive a receipt and an enrollment confirmation sent to the email you submitted at purchase. Your enrollment email will have instructions on how to access the class. Any additional questions our team is here to support you. Please call us at 469-721-6100.
What is your late policy?
If a student is 15 minutes late, they risk losing their seat to a standby student. If a student is 30 minutes late or more, they will need to reschedule. A no-show fee will apply. Retakes are enrolled on a stand-by basis. The student must supply previously issued courseware. Additional fees may apply.
What happens when I finish my class?
You will receive a ‘Certificate of Completion’ once you complete the class. If you purchased an exam voucher for the class, a team member from TOPTALENT LEARNING will reach out to discuss your readiness for the voucher and make arrangements to send it.