Ancestry Magazine

What do you do when you discover that for forty years of your great-grandparents’ married lives they lived in a place 1,200 miles away from your own home?

First, do as much research as you can from home. Be sure you search for history and information of that area in your local library. Then check online resources including Ancestry.com and the library catalog at FamilySearch.

But there will undoubtedly come a time when you’ll need onsite research performed at the ancestral town and county. You may find that very little microfilming, indexing, and abstracting of records has been done of the area or that visiting the place is the most effective way to find the answers you are seeking.

Most of us naturally begin planning a research trip to conduct onsite research. But many factors such as financial constraints, family needs, scheduling conflicts, even physical limitations may prevent such a trip. Your next best option may be to hire the services of a professional genealogist.

Do I Really Need a Professional?
You may be thinking that there are some wonderful genealogists all over the world who are willing to check the probate records at the courthouse or the church records for you at no charge. Perhaps you have already worked with some through a mailing list or mes sage board, and they have willingly volunteered their time. But it’s not always possible to find someone who has extensive experience doing the type of research you need, and it’s not likely that he or she can devote a substantial amount of time to your research. A professional researcher can provide the time, energy, and expertise you need to resolve your family research questions.

You can easily go online or look for advertisements in genealogy publications to find professional genealogical services. But it is wise to do some research when planning how you will spend your genealogical dollars. Finding the right professional for your needs takes some work. The old axiom: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” fits the genealogical arena as well as any other aspects of life. If an advertisement claims that the professional can find your ancestor or has accessibility to all sources, it may be time to heed another wise axiom: “Buyer beware.” The genealogical marketplace is no different from any other area of consumerism when it comes to making choices about spending your hard-earned money.

How Do I Find a Professional?
Clearly defining and understanding what you want researched is the important first step to hiring a professional researcher. Be sure about your research plan before you begin your search for a professional. Then locate a potential researcher, make the initial contacts, and evaluate his or her expertise.

Where can you find a researcher to fit your needs? The sidebar on the following page lists three professional organizations that have online directories of professional genealogists. These organizations have rigorous requirements and tests that a researcher must qualify for and pass before being admitted into the organization.

Additional resources include researchers-for-hire lists that you can obtain from historical and genealogical societies, libraries, and courthouses. Advertiseme nts can also be found in many genealogical publications, via the Internet, and at genealogical events.

When evaluating the researcher’s expertise, consider his or her accessibility to records, standards of conduct, and overall experience and knowledge. The researcher should clearly state what information, documents, or materials will be needed from you in advance. Once you hire that person, there will likely be a contract or letter of agreement for you to sign.

Providing sufficient details and documents to fully utilize the professional’s range of knowledge and skills is important. When possible, state your objectives in terms of the information you are seeking, not just the specific records you want checked. Allow the professional some leeway in the search. After all, he or she knows the local resources better than you do and will likely have a better analytical approach to solving the research problem(s).

What Other Services Are Available?
You’ll find that professional researchers have many skills beyond locating, working in, and copying specific records and indexes that you can’t personally access. Following is a listing of some of the other things you can hire a professional to do for you:

• Conduct in-depth research in a range of records for a specific geographic area.

• Locate the original records to back up information you found on the Internet or in a published index.

• Provide general advice and guidance in developing a research plan.

• Discuss specific research problems and clarify confusing or conflicting records.

• Explain a resource or record that is new to you.

• Update you on new resources and changes in access, laws, and technology.

• Determine the repositories, books, seminars, conferences, or trips that might be most worth your while.

• Help you get started researching in a particular geographic area.

• Provide information on specialty sources in other geographic areas.

• Organize the folders, albums, piles, or boxes of material you have gathered.

• Explain a particular locality’s records and the laws that have impacted them over the years.

• Provide an orientation to a specific record repository and/or work with you side-by-side in that facility.

• Give hands-on assistance and training in using software, the Internet, and other technology.

• Evaluate evidence and determine when a relationship or event is sufficiently proven.

• Prepare membership applications for hereditary societies.

• Assist in locating long-lost relatives or obtaining hard-to-access records.

• Organize, write, edit, and/or publish your family history.

• Consult on a special research project or plan educational programs.

• Research a specific artifact and help to determine the original owner and any background information.

• Help to plan and run a family reunion.

• Conduct interviews of individuals using audio and/or video recording devices.

• Translate documents that are written in an unfamiliar language.

What Should I Expect to Pay?
Remember that you will be paying for the time the researcher spends researching, analyzing your material, and preparing reports, as well as any costs incurred for photocopies, certificates, and postage.

Some professional researchers charge by the job, but most charge by the hour. Be prepared to pay an hourly rate of between twenty-five and seventy-five dollars.

You will often find that the highest hourly rate doesn’t necessarily mean the highest overall bill. For example, a researcher who charges twenty dollars an hour, but who doesn’t know the sources, repositories, or record keepers well, may take eight hours to complete a research project that a mo re knowledgeable and skillful researcher who charges forty dollars an hour could complete in three hours—and the research might be more comprehensive. Remember that you are paying for time and expertise, not a promised positive result.

How Do I Evaluate the Results?
Good communication, keen judgment, and realistic expectations are key when working with the professional researcher you have hired—from beginning to end.

You can always expect a written report from the researcher—generally at the conclusion of the researcher’s work. Be sure to evaluate the final report with some of the following questions: Does the researcher explain why certain resources were utilized? Does each record or other copy have a full source citation on it? Has the researcher given me suggestions for further research? Is there a summary of the research aims and results? Did the researcher provide an easy-to-read report that clearly explains what records, libraries, microfilms, or courthouses were checked?

Also, does the report give adequate details? For example, does it state, “No Griffins were found in the probate index”? Or does it say, “The Brown County probate index covering 1795 to 1999 was checked and no John Griffin was listed. This index is alphabetical by the first three letters of the surname. This index was used at the Brown County Courthouse.”

Your own growth as a genealogical researcher is important in this process as well, so don’t ignore the advice and suggestions for further work given in the report or cover letter. If the researcher advises you to contact another professional on some specific aspects, it is likely good advice.

You’ll find that the professional network can be a great benefit for your research. Many professionals know others with specific expertise in certain geographic areas or with a type of record—and they can all be called upon to help you with your research.

Paula Stuart Warren, CGRS, is a professional genealogist, consultant, writer, and lecturer. She has lectured all across the United States and is a course coordinator at the annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She is also co-author of Your Guide to the Family History Library: How to Access the World’s Largest Genealogy Resource.