Syllabus
FHGEN 252B: Geographic Specialization—England and Wales
Course Description
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to records and methodologies used for genealogical research in Scotland and Ireland. In many respects, research in Scotland and Ireland is similar to research in England and Wales. The major record groups used for 19th and 20th century Scottish and Irish research are census, civil registration, church records, and probate records.
This course, in conjunction with the other courses in this program, will help prepare you to apply for a professional genealogy credential through ICAPGen or BCG. This course provides you with solid academic content and develops practical research skills which are critical for a professional genealogist across many research settings.
Prerequisites
Before taking this course you must successfully complete FHGEN 251B.
Course Outcomes
During this course, you will do the following:
- Learn about the most important record groups for genealogical research in Scotland and Ireland.
- Complete weekly reading assignments and activities.
- Submit weekly reports or assignments to the instructor.
- Finish one research project (a two-generation research projects for either Scotland or Ireland).
- Take a midterm exam and a final exam.
Learning Model Architecture
The course follows a weekly cycle of Prepare, Teach One Another, and Ponder & Prove activities.
Prepare
You will prepare by setting goals and scheduling your time wisely. This will help you complete assignments, stay on task, and perform valuable work in the future. You will have little predefined structure and will be responsible establishing your own productive schedule.
Teach One Another
You will teach one another as you research specific individuals and their families. Your classmates will provide you with tips and assistance that can help you reach your goals. Likewise, you will have many opportunities to do the same.
Ponder & Prove
You will demonstrate your work each week by completing activities and quizzes.
Required Text
- Adolph, Anthony. Tracing Your Scottish Family History. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books (US) Inc., 2009
- Grenham, John. Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, 4th edition. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2012
Compare prices for your textbooks through the University Store Price Comparison site. They will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.
Websites
As part of this course, you will use some websites which require fees and registration. The websites are vital for effective research in Scotland and Ireland, so you will want to become very familiar with them. The following are the main websites for Scotland and Ireland:
Scotland
ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk)
Records on this site include Scotland Civil Registration records (births, marriages, and deaths after 1855), Scotland Church records (Presbyterian Church), Catholic Church records, census records, and testaments. In addition, there are many research aids.
- Register on the site.
- You buy credits to pay fees (30 credits for £7).
- You can do a search for no cost, but to see the results you pay 1 credit for each page of search results.
- To view a document or download it for printing, you pay 5 credits for each page.
Ireland
RootsIreland.ie (www.rootsireland.ie)
Records on this site include baptisms/births, marriages, and burials/deaths; census; Griffiths Valuation; gravestone inscriptions; passenger lists; and census substitutes. In addition, there is information about County Genealogy Centres.
- Register on the site—registration gives you 100 free credits.
- You can buy additional credits. (There are various amounts of credits you can buy, but the least is 25 credits for €5.)
- You can do a search at no cost, but to see the results you pay 1 credit for each page of results.
- To view most documents, you pay 25 credits.
Research Project
- Scotland two-generation research project OR
- Ireland two-generation research project
Two-Generation Research Project
You will trace a family of your choice in Scotland or a family of your choice in Ireland for two generations. (The first generation will consist of a husband, wife, and their children. The second generation will consist of the parents and siblings of either the husband or the wife of the first generation.)
At least one generation must have lived during the mid-1800s to early 1900s so that you may find the family members in the census and civil registration records. You will research as many members of your two-generation family as you can within the semester. You are expected to seek birth or christening, marriage, and death or burial information for family members in both families. Your research log should show that you have accessed the correct records in order to obtain the expected information. You may trace your family or the family of a friend, or you may pick a random family from a census record to research. Contact your instructor for help selecting a family to research.
During the weeks appropriate to your research project, we recommend that you search for at least 4 to 5 hours in the records you are learning about. If you do not have time to find every member of the family, that is fine. It is not mandatory that you find every single record for every single family members.
Record each source that you searched on your research log, update your database with any new information that you found, and then write a report about your findings to submit to the instructor for grading. The research from your weekly reports will be valuable resources when you write your final two-generation research project.
The two-generation research project must include the following items:
- The two-generation research report.
- Your research log.
- A gedcom file that includes the members of both families and documentation for each event.
- Digitized images of the documents you located that contain information about the families.
Grading
Grading in this course will be as follows:
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Activities | 30% |
| Assessments | 25% |
| Assignments | 40% |
| Discussions | 5% |
Writing Requirements
In this course, you will be required to write papers. Carefully follow the instructions to write a professional, college-level paper. Make sure that your paper is focused on the topic given by your instructor. Be concise and clear. Rambling is not accepted. Do not attempt to "pad" your responses by being wordy. Your papers should be well-organized, using paragraphs with correct spelling and punctuation standards.
To learn more about writing standards, visit the BYU-Idaho Writing Center website for tutorials and handouts. Tutoring sessions are also available to students in the Writing Center on-campus or online via Skype. If your schedule does not coincide with the Writing Center hours (9:00 AM–5:30 PM, Monday–Friday) you may email your paper to writingcenter@byui.edu and receive written feedback for your paper within 48 hours. Visit the Help for Online Students page for more details on these resources.
Remember, it is your responsibility to understand and follow the instructions completely! If you have a question regarding an assignment, ask your instructor early for clarification. Last-minute questions cannot be expected to be answered immediately.
Resources
If any technical difficulties arise throughout the course contact the Online Support Center or the Help Desk before contacting the instructor.
Missing Content
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Online Support Center
Phone: (866) 672-2984 Email: onlinelearning@byui.edu Website: http://www.byui.edu/online/online-support-center Text Messaging: (208) 557-4142 Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 7 PM, MT Skype: onlinesupportcenterbyui Live Chat: Available on the Online Support Center Website.
Help Desk
Phone: (208) 496-9000 Toll-Free Number: 1 (866) 237-5195 Email: helpdesk@byui.edu Website: http://www.byui.edu/help-desk Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 9 PM Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM
Copyright
Materials in this BYU-Idaho online course and related sites may be protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). These materials are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be further disseminated.
Additional Information
University Policies
Academic honesty is required and any violation with be dealt with according to the University Academic Honesty Policy.
Policy on Sexual Discrimination/Harassment
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an education program or activity that receives federal funds, including Federal loans and grants. Title IX also covers student-to-student sexual harassment. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please contact the Personnel Office at (208) 496-1130.
Reasonable Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere which reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office, (208) 496-1158. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by this office. If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures. You should contact the Personnel Office at (208) 496-1130.
Due to the nature of certain assignments in this course, some images do not include alternative text. If you need assistance with these images, please contact your instructor.
Personal Conduct
All of your correspondence with the teacher or other classmates must be respectful. Writing something disrespectful or "venting" is unprofessional and not becoming of a university student. In addition, it is not in accordance with the Honor Code of BYU-Idaho and you will be subject to discipline accordingly. You are invited to re-read the BYU-I Honor Code and the "Principles of Personal Honor."http://www.byui.edu/student-honor-office/ces-honor-code"