I think the term "brick wall" is used too easily for any ancestor where you don't know the parents. I think you shouldn't call someone a brick wall ancestor unless you gave it your best shot. Many genealogists are familiar with the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), as formulated by the Board for Certification of Genealogists. The GPS as has five components: Reasonably exhaustive research Complete and accurate source citations Careful analysis and correlation of evidence … [Read more...]

The first component of the Genealogical Proof Standard as formulated by the Board for Certification of Genealogists is Reasonably Exhaustive Research. It means trying to find "all evidence that might answer a genealogist's question about an identity, relationship, event, or situation."1 Reasonably Exhaustive Research is one of the five requirements to consider a genealogical conclusion proven. I thought it would be fun to give some examples of my own research, and the insights that reasonably … [Read more...]

As a project manager, I am used to assessing and managing risks. I will determine the biggest threats to my project, assess how likely they are to occur and how much of an impact they would have if they do occur. The combination of these factors will tell me which risks I need to focus my attention on: risk = likelihood x impact. The same two factors that make up risk can also be used to reduce risk. By taking measures, I can decrease the likelihood that the risk occurs or minimize the … [Read more...]