Getting the Most from Scholarly Journals

Mocavo Genealogy Blog

Getting the Most from Scholarly Journals

Author: Michael J. Leclerc
Published: February 10, 2012, 4:02 am

Each day, genealogists make major findings by searching journals such as The American Genealogist, The National Genealogical Society Quarterly, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Yet when the current issue of one of these journals appears on their doorstep, they don’t look at it unless they see their family name in the table of contents. This is unfortunate, as there is so much to be learned from any article in these journals.
What could possibly be learned from a “boring” genealogy article in a scholarly journal that does not deal with your own family? Many things. For example, reading about a family in the same locality as yours can show you about resources for the area that the author used, perhaps some you’ve never heard of. Perhaps there is a new online database that you will find helpful.
The particular problem being discussed in a brick-wall article may be similar to one you have in your own research. Understanding how others have dealt with the problem may give you ideas for new approaches.
In addition to compiled genealogy articles, or identification articles, many of the journals include transcriptions of records. Even if these transcriptions don’t pertain to your location, examining them may prove helpful. They may give you ideas for record types you hadn’t thought of (if they exist in one location , they may exist in yours). They may also help you to better understand the information included in records that you have never used before.
Each issue also contains an editorial that can be show you how the articles may be helpful to you. Recent editorials, for example, discuss chronology problems (the Register), derivative sources (PGM), problems with published sources (the Record), and social morals and mores (TAG).
When reading an article, one can learn the most by reading it several times. Read it first to understand the contents. Then, read through just the footnotes to see the sources being used. Read it again, focusing on the problem being discussed, and the analysis provided. You may want to review it a final time, focusing on how the sources are used to support the argument.
One of the most important things you can look for is how contradictory evidence is handled in the article. How is the conflict resolved? Were other resources brought to bear? How does the conclusion support the resolution?
Not all research problems are satisfactorily solved. One of the most useful ways to find how to present these can be found in TAG. They run a regular column called “Enigmas” which present articles on research problems for which no answer has yet been found. Reading these articles may prove helpful to you in your research.
It is not just the back issues of the journals that are helpful in genealogical research. The current issues can also be very helpful to you. Some study groups use them as a focus for learning methodology. Don’t just take them for granted, turn them into a major learning tool for your personal growth as a genealogist.

Michael J. Leclerc
Michael J. Leclerc is a noted author and popular presenter around the world. For sixteen years he was affiliated with the New England Historic Genealogical Society. He is a member of the board of the Associations of Professional Genealogists, and a former vice-president of administration for the Federation of Genealogical Societies.

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