By
By
Webinar Library
BCG Methodology and Skills Board for Certification of Genealogists Writing and Publishing Writing

Dear Me: Writing Research Reports to Yourself

Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG, QG
Nov 19, 2024
1.6K views
CC
Want to watch the full webinar?
Join now to access all 2,325 webinars and unlock all features.
Join now
Syllabus
Join now

Content

Play. Playing.
Welcome
49s
Play. Playing.
About BCG
5m 20s
Play. Playing.
Speaker's Introduction
1m 15s
Play. Playing.
Introduction
5m 44s
Play. Playing.
Contents of a report
27m 02s
Play. Playing.
Wrapping up the report
6m 02s
Play. Playing.
Productivity Tips
3m 38s
Play. Playing.
Level-Up Challenge
7m 53s
Play. Playing.
Announcements
1m 00s
Play. Playing.
Questions / answers
13m 16s

About this webinar

Research reports are not just for professionals, but are a great tool for anyone who wants to answer their research questions. Write a research report to yourself to organize your thoughts, analyze the evidence, document your findings, and solve your puzzles. Using an example from the Netherlands, this presentation demonstrates how you can organize a research report to spot more clues in records, discover and resolve discrepancies, and build reliable conclusions.

About the speaker

About the speaker

Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG, QG
Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG®, QGTM is a professional genealogist, writer, and lecturer from the Netherlands who specializes in researching Dutch ancestors. Her 
Learn more...

Comments (157)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

1000 characters remaining
Cancel Submit

Sort by Newest
Sort by Close.
  • Newest
  • Oldest
  • Likes
  1. CG
    Colleen Greene
    1 month ago

    Excellent webinar, Yvette!

    Reply
  2. LS
    Leslie Still
    1 month ago

    Excellent presentation!! Thank you!

    Reply
    1 Reply
    • TC
      Tracey Coghlan
      4 weeks ago

      Excellent in combo with ESM webinar it has definitely inspired me to take a new approach and start again with this method. Thank you

  3. AL
    Amanda Luttrell
    1 month ago

    This is a great presentation. I found it very easy to understand and inspiring. The syllabus notes are also of a high standard. I know what I will be trying over the Christmas break.

    Reply
  4. JT
    Jackie Thornton
    1 month ago

    This is a valuable presentation. Thank you for sharing the handout and links.

    Reply
  5. CF
    Cynthia Finnie
    1 month ago

    Great ideas about how to get beyond facts and sources to assemble the pieces into a useful narrative of your research. Especially appreciate the suggestion of how to park the “bright shiny object” into a parking lot – which I didn’t realize was an Achille’s heel of mine.

    Reply
  6. AW
    Angela Wilderman
    1 month ago

    Speaker provided great ideas for report writing.

    Reply
  7. LS
    Lisa Sanderson-Jacks
    1 month ago

    This webinar will be helpful to anyone struggling with research especially when the research logs aren’t working. I had not thought of doing genealogy this way. Writing a research report is an amazing idea, and I believe it will work much better than the research logs I was struggling with.

    Reply
  8. SM
    Susan Michael
    1 month ago

    A very informative webinar.

    Reply
Show all comments

Related Webinars

1:12:08
BCGMethodology and SkillsPlaces and Ethnicities
Lesser Used Records for Research in the Netherlands
Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG, QG
3.2K views
CC
Lesser Used Records for Research in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has excellent records. Records of births, marriages, and deaths were kept by the civil registration since 1811 and by churches since the early 1600s. Genealogists who don’t look beyond these records may create trees that go back ten generations, but they can be bare or have mistakes. By…
BCGMethodology and SkillsPlaces and Ethnicities
Lesser Used Records for Research in the Netherlands
CC
Yvette Hoitink, MLitt, CG, QG
3.2K views
The Netherlands has excellent records. Records of births, marriages, and deaths were kept by the civil registration since 1811 and by churches since the early 1600s. Genealogists who don’t look beyond these records may create trees that go back ten generations, but they can be bare or have mistakes. By…
Tue, July 16 2019: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:17:30
BCGMethodology and SkillsDNA Testing
Lost and Found: Locating Ancestral Origins with FAN Club and DNA
Mary Kircher Roddy, CG, CGG
987 views
CC
Lost and Found: Locating Ancestral Origins with FAN Club and DNA
It’s hard to do genealogy well without studying your ancestors’ Friends & Family, Associates, and Neighbors - their FAN club. If your ancestors are Irish, you might have no luck at all without those FAN principles. But if you combine FAN club research with DNA, you might have just the winning ticket to get you back to your Irish ancestor’s origins. In this case study presentation, learn how focused research pointed the way from Ohio to townlands in County Mayo for an 1850s-era Irish immigrant.
BCGMethodology and SkillsDNA Testing
Lost and Found: Locating Ancestral Origins with FAN Club and DNA
CC
Mary Kircher Roddy, CG, CGG
987 views
It’s hard to do genealogy well without studying your ancestors’ Friends & Family, Associates, and Neighbors - their FAN club. If your ancestors are Irish, you might have no luck at all without those FAN principles. But if you combine FAN club research with DNA, you might have just the winning ticket to get you back to your Irish ancestor’s origins. In this case study presentation, learn how focused research pointed the way from Ohio to townlands in County Mayo for an 1850s-era Irish immigrant.
Wed, December 18 2024: 1:00 UTC
Register for free
1:13:06
BCGMethodology and Skills
Sense and Sensibility: The Power of Logic, Intuition, and Critical Thinking
Robbie Johnson, CG
1.0K views
CC
Sense and Sensibility: The Power of Logic, Intuition, and Critical Thinking
Is it logical that a woman born in 1752 gave birth to a son in 1848? Do I have enough evidence to conclude that Johan Kannon of Trondheim, Norway, was the same person as John Connell from Cut-and-Shoot, Texas? Why do I share 300 cM of DNA with three people I’ve never heard of? Genealogists make hundreds of decisions everyday based on thousands of pieces of information harvested from various sources. We automatically, and often unconsciously, use common sense, logic, and even intuition, to identify relevant evidence, problem-solve, and answer complex questions. Learning to harness the power of logic, syllogism, and our own “Spidey-senses,” can help scale brick-walls, solve DNA mysteries, and organize mountains of information. This talk focuses on how to incorporate logic, common sense, and critical thinking in a more deliberate way to create hypotheses, test theories, and support conclusions. Johnson will share exercises that can bulk up logic and critical thought muscles, as well as practical tips on how to apply common sense and sensibility to your family history research and writing.
BCGMethodology and Skills
Sense and Sensibility: The Power of Logic, Intuition, and Critical Thinking
CC
Robbie Johnson, CG
1.0K views
Is it logical that a woman born in 1752 gave birth to a son in 1848? Do I have enough evidence to conclude that Johan Kannon of Trondheim, Norway, was the same person as John Connell from Cut-and-Shoot, Texas? Why do I share 300 cM of DNA with three people I’ve never heard of? Genealogists make hundreds of decisions everyday based on thousands of pieces of information harvested from various sources. We automatically, and often unconsciously, use common sense, logic, and even intuition, to identify relevant evidence, problem-solve, and answer complex questions. Learning to harness the power of logic, syllogism, and our own “Spidey-senses,” can help scale brick-walls, solve DNA mysteries, and organize mountains of information. This talk focuses on how to incorporate logic, common sense, and critical thinking in a more deliberate way to create hypotheses, test theories, and support conclusions. Johnson will share exercises that can bulk up logic and critical thought muscles, as well as practical tips on how to apply common sense and sensibility to your family history research and writing.
Wed, October 16 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:11:40
Places and EthnicitiesBCGMethodology and Skills
A Myriad of Slave Databases
LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG...
928 views
CC
A Myriad of Slave Databases
In the summer of 2023 American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society announced the collaborative 10 Million Names project, an undertaking to recover the names of people of African descent who were enslaved in the area of the United States. This monumental task of centralizing datasets about African Americans is likely to take years to accomplish; in the interim, this webinar provides a useful survey of the many existing databases that serve a similar purpose though limited in scope.
Places and EthnicitiesBCGMethodology and Skills
A Myriad of Slave Databases
CC
LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG
928 views
In the summer of 2023 American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society announced the collaborative 10 Million Names project, an undertaking to recover the names of people of African descent who were enslaved in the area of the United States. This monumental task of centralizing datasets about African Americans is likely to take years to accomplish; in the interim, this webinar provides a useful survey of the many existing databases that serve a similar purpose though limited in scope.
Wed, September 18 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:16:31
BCGMethodology and Skills
He Had a Brother Who Disappeared: Finding John H. Hickey, Formerly of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois
Debra S. Mieszala, CG
984 views
CC
He Had a Brother Who Disappeared: Finding John H. Hickey, Formerly of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois
Family tradition holds that John H. Hickey of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois, disappeared. This case study proves John "disappeared" and establishes the missing man's fate. A patchwork of records allowed a glimpse into the life of a person thought dead.
BCGMethodology and Skills
He Had a Brother Who Disappeared: Finding John H. Hickey, Formerly of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois
CC
Debra S. Mieszala, CG
984 views
Family tradition holds that John H. Hickey of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois, disappeared. This case study proves John "disappeared" and establishes the missing man's fate. A patchwork of records allowed a glimpse into the life of a person thought dead.
Wed, August 21 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:26:42
Best of ESMWriting and Publishing
Genealogical Research & Writing: Are You a Saint, Sinner, or Bumfuzzled Soul?
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
1.5K views
CC
Genealogical Research & Writing: Are You a Saint, Sinner, or Bumfuzzled Soul?
As researchers, family historians, compilers, bloggers, or writers of other ilk, genealogists face legal and ethical perils they often do not anticipate. This crash course offers practical guidance to enhance your skills and keep you safe as you explore history, reconstruct lives, and “write up” your findings. While the issues are serious—from the legal issue of copyright to the ethical issue of plagiarism—the lessons are taught with a light heart and humor.
Best of ESMWriting and Publishing
Genealogical Research & Writing: Are You a Saint, Sinner, or Bumfuzzled Soul?
CC
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
1.5K views
As researchers, family historians, compilers, bloggers, or writers of other ilk, genealogists face legal and ethical perils they often do not anticipate. This crash course offers practical guidance to enhance your skills and keep you safe as you explore history, reconstruct lives, and “write up” your findings. While the issues are serious—from the legal issue of copyright to the ethical issue of plagiarism—the lessons are taught with a light heart and humor.
Fri, July 26 2024: 18:00 UTC
Login to register (for webinar members)
Login to register (for webinar members)
1:06:01
BCGMethodology and Skills
Oral Genealogy in Asia-Pacific: The Essence of Personal Identity and Tribal Connections
David S. Ouimette, CG, CGL
147 views
CC
Oral Genealogy in Asia-Pacific: The Essence of Personal Identity and Tribal Connections
Oral genealogies celebrate ancestral connections in indigenous cultures across Asia-Pacific. As one paramount chief in Samoa declared, “The most important thing for children to understand is their family connections. The knowledge of history is their treasure—not gold and silver, but genealogy.” Learn about the significance and richness of oral genealogies and current efforts to preserve them in Asia and the Pacific.
BCGMethodology and Skills
Oral Genealogy in Asia-Pacific: The Essence of Personal Identity and Tribal Connections
CC
David S. Ouimette, CG, CGL
147 views
Oral genealogies celebrate ancestral connections in indigenous cultures across Asia-Pacific. As one paramount chief in Samoa declared, “The most important thing for children to understand is their family connections. The knowledge of history is their treasure—not gold and silver, but genealogy.” Learn about the significance and richness of oral genealogies and current efforts to preserve them in Asia and the Pacific.
Wed, July 17 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:24:18
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Editing Your Own Work – Part 2
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG
1.3K views
CC
Editing Your Own Work – Part 2
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will address the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Editing Your Own Work – Part 2
CC
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG
1.3K views
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will address the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
Wed, June 19 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:27:11
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Editing Your Own Work – Part 1
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG
2.0K views
CC
Editing Your Own Work – Part 1
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will addresses the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
BCGMethodology and SkillsWriting and Publishing
Editing Your Own Work – Part 1
CC
Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGG
2.0K views
Genealogists write. Their written narratives include stories of ancestral families, biographies of individual ancestors, and explanations supporting genealogical proofs. For their writing to succeed, genealogists—like all effective writers—repeatedly self-edit everything they write. The process results in polished products that the genealogist’s readers will understand, enjoy, and cherish. Emphasizing genealogical narrative, these two webinars will addresses the self-editing process. Part 1 will focus on “big-picture” editing, including stages of self-editing; focus; keeping the writer out of the narrative; editing the writing’s overall structure, organization, and flow; and improving major and minor subdivisions of written genealogical narratives, including paragraphing. Part 2 will focus on “nitty-gritty” editing, including capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, word choice, and reducing word count.
Wed, May 22 2024: 0:00 UTC
Register for free