Course: 2026-05
Digging Deeper: Records, Tools, and Skills
Virtual via Zoom
Faculty:
- Coordinator and Instructor: Paula Stuart-Warren, CG®, FMGS, FUGA
- Other Instructors: Amy E. K. Arner, CG®; Cyndi Ingle; Debbie Mieszala, CG®; Cari Taplin, CG®
Tuition:
- Regular Price: $615.00
- NGS Member Price: $575.00
Description:
This may be your course! It covers 19th through 21st century US records, online resources, “hidden” records, analysis, and methodology. This course often serves as preparation for other GRIP courses. It is a separate, but complementary, course to BEYOND Digging Deeper: Sources, Methods, and Practices, which debuted in 2025. If you answer yes to any of the following questions, this course is for you.
- Are you past the beginning stages of researching your family history?
- Have you researched online but know there is more elsewhere or that you have missed some resources?
- Do you need a stronger foundation before taking advanced or specialized courses?
- Are you not yet comfortable with in-depth evaluation of documents, deciding what to do next, and delving into less commonly used collections?
When we have checked basic records and done online searches but still have missing details, we need more leads and to do a better job of analyzing records. We will dig deeper into a variety of records, some you may have never heard about, and where they are found. There will be hands-on and interactive activities, small group discussions, and full class interaction.
Student Prerequisites:
None
Recommendations:
- We recommend that you work on a laptop, desktop computer, or electronic tablet for taking notes and especially for research on the week’s group project and the in-class hands-on activities.
- Adding an extra external monitor is even better for your work during the week.
What to Expect:
- An extensive electronic syllabus including both online and offline resources is provided for this course, and you do need to read ahead for each day.
- The course includes a “homework” group project that is optional but strongly suggested. Past students found they gained much through these exercises.
- Personal brick wall opportunity: A special course aspect involves receiving advice for one of your research brick walls. In early April 2026, registrants will receive specific details and a firm deadline about sending the coordinator a brief summary of a US research issue. During the course, at the end of the day Monday through Thursday, we will work together to help solve these brick walls. If you register later, you will receive the same info and learn whether we are able to accept more of these research issues.
Recordings:
Sessions will be recorded and available through Friday, 10 July 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.
NOTE: All times are listed in Eastern Time.
Live Sessions may be subject to schedule adjustments by your course coordinator.
| Day | Session | Time | Session Title | Description | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 22 June |
Intro | 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM | Student and Instructor Introductions | Meeting the instructors and other students in the course as well as tweaking any technical issues. | Stuart-Warren |
| 1 | 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM | Analyzing Documents Workshop: Self-Judging Your Expertise | Many documents seemingly end up meaning only what is said on the surface. Surprises lurk and a keen evaluation before more research shows that you are an experienced family historian. Are there times you question your analysis of a document? It’s likely you can do better than you give yourself credit for. In these sessions we will analyze some documents together, discuss the contents, and prepare research plans. Then we will break into groups for analysis and research preparation of a different document that evolves into a class project for the week. The result: a solid research plan, recognition of the value of discussion with other genealogists, and the sharing of knowledge to help attain the sought-after research goals. | Stuart-Warren/Arner | |
| 2 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Analyzing Documents Workshop: Group Projects | In this session, the students will break into groups. Each group will do analysis, a research plan, limited research, and preparation for reporting about a document that is the focus of the group homework project for the week. Each group will have the same document, and each group stays together during the week. Instructors provide guidance during the week. The result: a solid research plan, recognition of the value of discussion with other genealogists, and an opportunity to compare how each group works from the document | Stuart-Warren/Arner | |
| 3 | 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | The WPA Era: A Free Boon for Research | The WPA’s Historical Records Survey arm gave people unprecedented access to knowledge of record descriptions, contents, locations, indexes, abstracts, and more. During the tough economic times in the 1930s and 1940s, this was a government program that put many people to work. It created a goldmine of records that are useful for today’s genealogists. Record transcriptions, courthouse and manuscript inventories, record indexes, city/county histories, and histories of businesses and families may exist for your ancestral locale. Learn more about the program and the results. You may already be using some of the creations but didn’t realize how or by whom they were created. We will also discuss the online explosion of WPA materials and where they are found today. The syllabus will include information on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and some other parts of the New Deal era. | Stuart-Warren | |
| 4 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Citing Your Sources | Source citations allow evaluation of a work product’s research depth and conclusions. Citations give insight on sources utilized (or neglected), their facts, potential conflicting evidence, and problem analysis and solutions. Learn citation elements to regularly incorporate source citations into a work product, and how to craft source citation style sheets. Hands-on work reinforces foundations. Access to a source citation guide is necessary for this session. | Mieszala | |
| Extra | 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Optional Enhancement Session | Roundtable discussion about student submitted problems. | Stuart-Warren | |
| Tuesday 23 June |
5 | 10:30 – 11:45 AM | PERSI: Using the Periodical Source Index | In this session, we will take a look at Allen County Public Library’s Periodical Source Index (PERSI). We will examine its history and purpose, and access at the ACPL website. Participants will also gain valuable tips and techniques for getting the most out of this often-overlooked resource of accessing information in older genealogical society journals through several mini case studies using PERSI and seeing its usefulness in giving your ancestors’ stories even more life. | Taplin |
| 6 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Probate Records: More than Wills and Estates | Probate courts hold the records of deceased persons such as estates, inventories, administrations, and so on. But probate records usually hold more than simply the records of a deceased person. Guardianships for both adults and minors, commitments to institutions, apprenticeships, and more are included. These records should not be overlooked because you will find information about family relationships, ages, birth and death details, land ownership, marriages, and other evidence and clues. | Taplin | |
| 7 | 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Getting the Most from Vital Records and Their Substitutes | Vital records are usually among the first types of records genealogists use. A variety of entities produce vital records—all of which have different rules about the creation and storage of the records. Those rules change over time. Complicating matters, vital records don’t always exist for the times and places where we research. During this session we’ll cover what vital records are, how to find them, what we can use as alternate sources, and how to glean all of the information from the records. | Arner | |
| 8 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Newspaper Research: Beyond the Birdcage | Newspapers contain evidence of relationships and vital events, give insight into a community, and sometimes offer surprising tidbits. Learn in-depth newspaper research techniques and the types of information newspapers contain. Explore regular and specialty publications, such as often overlooked ethnic, trade, and religious newspapers. Learn to find news and obituary indexes, and digitized, microfilmed, and archival newspaper collections. | Mieszala | |
| Extra | 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Optional Enhancement Session | Roundtable discussion about student submitted problems. | Mieszala | |
| Wednesday 24 June | 9 | 10:30 – 11:45 AM | The Hidden Web: Digging Deeper | Finding undercover sources for genealogists means learning about how to search the hidden web. When Google and traditional search engines don’t return useful information, don’t stop there. We will explore resources that are invisible to Google and hidden deep within web sites and proprietary databases. The “hidden web” lies buried within the collections for commercial web sites, libraries, archives, and museums. We will also talk about the importance of indexes that deep-link into web sites online, thus uncovering hidden gems of information that may not be found easily through a search engine query. | Ingle |
| 10 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Original Manuscripts: Finding Aids Online and Off | Manuscripts often hold details not found anywhere else. Often, these one-of-a-kind documents turn up in a repository almost anywhere where a family member resided or where a descendant donated the material. With today’s various free finding aids in print and electronically we can locate family letters, scrapbooks, church records, bibles, business records, and more that may have migrated from Pennsylvania to California, from Indiana to Texas, or anywhere else. The search may also result in a now online detailed inventory of a specific collection. | Stuart-Warren | |
| 11 | 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Finding Treasure in State Archives and Historical Societies | Most US states have a state archives or state historical society (or both). These institutions hold a variety of records useful to genealogists, including records created by businesses, educational institutions, governments at all levels, individuals, religious organizations, and more. During this session we’ll cover what kinds of records state archives and state historical societies hold and the tools available to use the collections. | Arner | |
| 12 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Legal Savvy for the Genealogist | Finding and understanding historic and modern laws, considering their impact on a research question, and recognizing legally influenced records are essential skills for genealogists. The law influenced document and record creation (and sometimes destruction), and it impacted lives. Hands-on exercises provide experience to reinforce foundations in locating historic statutory and case law. | Mieszala | |
| Extra | 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Optional Enhancement Session | Roundtable discussion about student submitted problems. | Mieszala | |
| Thursday 25 June |
13 | 10:30 – 11:45 AM | Twentieth‑ and Twenty‑First‑Century Research: Rich Resources | Some censuses, erratic city directories in many places, disappearing people, renters, mobile families, and other issues are some reasons many are stumped in finding aunts, uncles, cousins, and even a missing sibling or parent. Learn specialized resources and research skills to find them, deal with careful contact, and the emotions of all. A hands-on activity highlights records and a successful outcome. | Stuart-Warren |
| 14 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Civil & Criminal Court Records | Litigious society today? It’s nothing new. A few scallywags in the (distant, of course) family? The files, volumes, calendars, minutes, and indexes we find in civil and criminal court records contain vital family history details. Divorces, adoptions, land and tax disputes, inheritance issues, minor/major illegal activities, and business dealings are just some of what might be found. The details provide names, locations, relationships, and add depth to our ancestral stories. | Stuart-Warren | |
| 15 | 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Off the Shelf: The Unexplored Potential for eBooks in Genealogy | There is a treasure trove of untapped research sources online: the electronic book or eBook. Repositories are digitizing publications and putting them online for us to use without having to leave the comfort of our homes. We will explore all the options that are out there to move your research forward. Included are strategies for searching, downloading, annotating, and extracting pages from within these books. | Ingle | |
| 16 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM | Institutional Records: The Good, The Bad, and The Painful | What affected members of your ancestral families that led to their time in these institutions? What laws, community discrimination, “not in my backyard,” family shunning, and other factors were involved? Learn about these and the significant details often found in records related to these institutions. We will also discuss locating the records of poor farms, almshouses, mental institutions, prisons, record restrictions, and gaining access. | Stuart-Warren | |
| Extra | 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Optional Enhancement Session | Roundtable discussion about student submitted problems. | Arner | |
| Friday 26 June |
17 | 10:30 – 11:45 AM | Post Military Service: Often Overlooked 19th & 20th Century Records | Bonus payments, organizations of comrades, discharge records, state-level records, adjutant general records, correspondences, relief records, , and other important items may add significant details and understanding to the basic military information for our ancestors. Membership organizations of post-military service personnel and descendants provide personal details, support for the veteran and families, and some surprising records. | Stuart-Warren |
| 18 | 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM | Student Group Project Reporting and Analysis | During this session, the small groups formed on Monday do a last-minute discussion of their project. Then we will go into full-class session to report, discuss, and do final analysis and future planning on the homework project. As noted for the Monday morning sessions, the result: a growing research plan, learning from each group’s reported outcome, recognition of the value of discussion with other genealogists, and the sharing of knowledge to help attain the sought-after research goals. | Stuart-Warren/Arner |