Category Archives: Application process

Accreditation, Application process, Conference, Family History, Genealogy, ICAPGen, Professionals, Websites

Join ICAPGen at RootsTech 2026 and Take Your Research to the Next Level

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RootsTech 2026 is almost here! And if you’re heading to the world’s largest genealogy conference, there’s one booth you won’t want to walk past. Hosted by FamilySearch at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, this year’s event is a wonderful opportunity to deepen your skills, meet fellow researchers, and discover what professional genealogy looks like up close. Add Booth #209 to your must-visit list before you even walk through the doors.

Why Stop by Booth #209?

ICAPGen , the organization behind accrediting genealogists worldwide, will be there and genuinely excited to connect with you, whether you’re a dedicated hobbyist or a seasoned professional. Here’s what you’ll find:

  • Learn about accreditation. Curious what it takes to earn the Accredited Genealogist® (AG®) credential? We’ll break it down and explain why ICAPGen’s standards matter when choosing — or becoming — a professional researcher.
  • Talk to the experts. Meet credentialed professionals with expertise across a wide range of regions, ethnicities, and record types. Bring your toughest brick-wall problems, and get a new perspective.
  • Explore a professional path. Thinking about turning your passion into a profession? Our team is happy to walk you through the credentialing process, study expectations, and what accreditation can open up for you.
  • Support a meaningful mission. As a nonprofit, ICAPGen is dedicated to advancing genealogical education and ethical research practices around the world. 

Ready to Go Deeper? The Advanced/Professional Track

RootsTech has something for everyone, including those who want to go well beyond the basics. The Advanced/Professional Track is designed for researchers who are serious about methodology and want content that genuinely challenges them. This year’s highlighted sessions include:

  • Advanced Strategies for Finding Manuscripts — Kelly Richardson, AG®
  • Untangling the Web: Same Name Resolution — Bonnie Wade Mucia, AG®, AGL™
  • The GPS in Practice: Reasonably Exhaustive Research — Angela Packer McGhie, CG®
  • Crafting a Genealogical Proof Argument — Stephanie O’Connell, CG®
  • Avoiding Research Pitfalls — Jana K. Greenhalgh, AG®, and Mindy Taylor, AG®

Take a look at the RootsTech schedule and block off the sessions that speak to your work.

Can’t Make It to Salt Lake City? Attend Virtually — for Free

Can’t be there in person? No problem. RootsTech Virtual 2026 brings the conference to you, wherever you are, at no cost. When you register online, you’ll get:

  • Livestreamed keynotes from the main stage
  • 200+ on-demand sessions in multiple languages
  • Family Discovery Day live sessions
  • Virtual Expo Hall access to explore exhibitors and discover the latest tools and resources in the field
  • Relatives at RootsTech, a fun interactive feature for connecting with cousins around the world (available through April 2026)

Plan Your Visit

Whether you’re joining us in Salt Lake City or tuning in from home, we’d love to connect and talk all things genealogy. See you there!

RootsTech 2026 “Come Together” logo; used by permission.
Accreditation, Application process, Education, Family History, Genealogy, Skillbuilding, State resources, Study Groups

Choosing a Family for your Four Generation Project

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By Lisa Stokes, AG®

Have you ever wondered if the family you chose for your Four Generation Project was a good fit? Are you struggling to find a family that is ‘just right’? ICAPGen Study Group mentors have compiled some suggestions to help participants fine tune their selection for their Four Generation Project.

The family you chose does not need to be your own family. Sometimes in researching your own family you’ll find yourself so invested that it’s difficult to draw the line on ‘reasonably exhaustive research.’

Pick a family that will illustrate your skills as a genealogist! Look for a family that shows off your skills using a variety of original sources. Look for opportunities to use indirect evidence, analyze and correlate, discuss your findings and resolve conflicts.

A family that demonstrates any of the following would not be a good fit:

  • They don’t stay in the region long enough
  • There are insufficient original records
  • There is insufficient proof of relationships and events
  • There is a lack of record types from the Regional Resources document for your region

If you are planning to use research that you conducted a long time ago, be sure that you remember how connections were made. Is your research log complete? If not, it may be difficult to accurately recreate your research log and articulate your research in the report. Keep in mind, though, that many applicants successfully make prior research work for a Four Generation Project.

Demonstrating Your Research Skills

One of the purposes of the Four Generation Project is for applicants to show they know how to research. Look for a family that shows off your research skills. Use a variety of strategies and methodologies to present the research in your report. Some strategies you might discuss include:

  • Distinguish people of the same name to show why one particular person belongs in the family and not another person of the same name.
  • Emphasize how a record applies to the individual or family. For example, how does the census household enumeration add to the proof that they are from the family you are discussing (i.e occupations, religion, visitors, ages, age gaps, servants, addresses, correlating multiple censuses, etc.).
  • Point out a discrepancy that exists among records and display your knowledge of the location, the records, the family, etc. Discuss why one source is more credible than another.
  • Use negative evidence to help prove an identity, a death, a migration, or other events. For example, show that an individual is not in a certain place and thus could be deceased or could have migrated from one area to another.
  • Use naming patterns to connect members of a family.
  • Use the FAN club concept of cluster research to strengthen your proof arguments. For example, connect people in the same location or connect a family in one location to a family in another location. This technique can also be used to strengthen evidence of likely relationships.
  • Find ways to use indirect evidence to strengthen proof arguments and reach a solid conclusion.
  • Apply understanding of the laws of the time period and region by accessing statute books or other documentation of the laws.
  • Explain the jurisdictional organization and who had custody of the records or any boundary changes that may affect the records.
  • Use cultural, or historical context to support a conclusion about a person’s identity.

Children of the second, third, and fourth main-line subjects should be well researched and documented in the research log and family group sheets. Covering these children in the research report of the Four Generation Project is not a requirement, and is discouraged if it distracts from the space needed to properly analyze the main subjects and their generational links. HOWEVER, showcasing research skills, analysis skills, and/or correlation skills with the children is a good technique in a Four Generation Project.

For more detailed information, consult the Guide to Applying for an Accredited Genealogist® Credential which covers all of ICAPGen’s application requirements and guidelines.