Genealogy Proof Standard & Sourcing Methodology

BCG, NGS, Mastering Genealogical Proof, the GPS — proving relationships beyond reasonable doubt.

The methodology layer: what counts as proof, how to write it, who certifies practitioners, where to learn it. For citation mechanics see Genealogy Citation Management; for AI-assisted research see Genealogy AI Tools; for ethical research see Genealogy Privacy & Ethics.

The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS)

The five components (BCG):
1. Reasonably exhaustive research in relevant source records.
2. Complete, accurate citations to each source.
3. Analysis and correlation of the evidence.
4. Resolution of conflicting evidence.
5. A soundly written, coherent conclusion.
What it means in practice: "I found the name in three databases" is not proof. Proof is a written argument citing multiple independent sources with conflicts addressed.

★ ★ Mastering Genealogical Proof (Thomas W. Jones) — paid (~$30); the textbook teaching the GPS as a workflow with worked examples. ~200 pages. Read this if you read one book.
★ Evidence Explained (Elizabeth Shown Mills, 3rd ed.) — paid (~$60); the citation reference. See Genealogy Citation Management.
★ Genealogy Standards (BCG, 2nd ed. 2019) — paid (~$15); the formal standards manual. Short, dense, normative.
Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards (ProGen) — paid; for those pursuing professional certification.
Producing a Quality Family History (Patricia Hatcher) — paid; for the writing-it-up phase.
Numbering Your Genealogy: Basic Systems (NGS) — free PDF; Register / NGSQ numbering systems.

★ BCG (Board for Certification of Genealogists) — credential: CG (Certified Genealogist). Application-based, peer-reviewed work portfolio. The most rigorous US credential.
ICAPGen (International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists) — credential: AG (Accredited Genealogist). LDS-affiliated, regional specializations (US Mid-South, British Isles, etc.).
APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) — membership org for working genealogists; not a credential. Useful directory + ethics code.
NGS (National Genealogical Society) — free + paid memberships; education + journal + courses.
SoG (Society of Genealogists, UK) — membership.
FGS / RootsTech — RootsTech is the biggest annual conference (FamilySearch hosts; partly free virtual since 2021).

NGS American Genealogy Course — paid; foundational US course.
ProGen Study Group — paid; cohort-based; chapter-by-chapter through the ProGen book.
Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate — paid (~$3,000); 14-week intensive.
National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR) — paid; one-week NARA-based intensive.
GRIP (Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh) — paid; week-long courses.
SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy) — paid; week-long Salt Lake-based.
IGHR (Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research) — paid; Athens, GA.
FamilySearch Wiki + Learning Center — free; searchable lessons by topic / locality.
Ancestry Academy — free with Ancestry subscription; video lessons.

★ FamilySearch Wiki — free; the single largest research-strategy reference for genealogy. Pages by locality (US, UK, Mexico, Germany, etc.) tell you which records exist and how to access them. Underrated and indispensable.
★ FamilySearch Learning Center — free video courses on every research topic.
Cyndi's List — free; ~330,000 categorized links to genealogy resources. Old-school but still curated.
GeneaBlogger / The Family Curator / Olive Tree / DearMyrtle — free blogs; long-running practitioner voices.
Legacy Family Tree Webinars — paid (~$50/yr) + free recent live broadcasts; high-quality video courses.
NGS Magazine + NGSQ (National Genealogical Society Quarterly) — paid via membership; the academic-quality genealogy journal in the US.
Genealogy.com / Family Tree Magazine — paid + free; consumer-friendly.

Research log — what you searched, where, when, found / didn't. The single most-undervalued artifact. Free templates from FamilySearch + Mid-Continent Public Library.
Research plan — before you search, write down what you're trying to prove and what records to check.
Negative searches matter — record what wasn't there as much as what was.
The proof argument — a written narrative; not a citation list. ~500–2000 words for a typical relationship proof.
Cluster / FAN-club methodology (Friends, Associates, Neighbors) — when direct records fail, research the cluster around your ancestor.
Reverse genealogy — work forward from a known ancestor to find living kin; useful for adoptees / lost cousins.

Copy-paste from Ancestry public trees — most are unsourced; treat as hints only.
One-source proofs — never enough. Always corroborate with at least two independent sources.
Conflating same-named individuals — a different John Smith born the same year in the same town. The "merging" mistake is the most common silent error.
Modern names back-projected — surnames stabilized only in the late Middle Ages in most of Europe; before that, expect patronymics.
Trusting the index — always look at the source image; transcription errors are common.

AI-assisted research planning — Claude / GPT-4o helping draft research plans, identify gaps. Useful, but verify.
DNA proof standard — newer BCG guidance on incorporating DNA evidence into proof arguments; chromosome-mapping references increasingly common.
Online publication — more peer-reviewed-style proofs published on personal blogs / Medium; quality variable.
RootsTech free virtual continues to broaden access to top speakers globally.
Scholarly databases (JSTOR, etc.) free via library card — public-libraries' role in serious genealogy growing.

Read one book to learn the method: Mastering Genealogical Proof.
Reference shelf classic: Evidence Explained + BCG Standards + MGP.
Pursuing certification: BCG CG application + ProGen Study Group.
Free education path: FamilySearch Wiki + Learning Center + Legacy Webinars free recent recordings.
Want to publish a serious proof: target NGSQ or TAG style; cite per Mills.
Conference / community: RootsTech (free virtual + paid in-person) + APG membership.