By Bonnie Wade Mucia, AG®, AGL®
The Four Generation Project is often the first place ICAPGenSM applicants realize that accreditation is about more than finding records. It’s about how you research, how you evaluate evidence, and how you explain your conclusions clearly and professionally.
To support applicants as they work on the Four Generation Project, two companion videos on the ICAPGen YouTube channel focus specifically on the project—one on writing requirements and one on methodology. Both videos are presented by Bonnie Wade Mucia, AG®, AGL™, and are intended to provide practical guidance for those preparing their Four Generation Project submissions.
The Four Generation Project: Writing Requirements video walks through what ICAPGen expects in the written portion of the project and how to apply those expectations in practice. It explains that the Four Generation Project is not a narrative family history or a simple list of records, but a professional research report written as if for a client. The video focuses on meeting writing requirements through clear organization, consistent formatting, concise sentences, and logical flow, while also demonstrating ways to explain both how and why conclusions were reached. It emphasizes that strong writing is essential, essential because in writing things out, gaps in logic, unclear reasoning, or untested assumptions become apparent.
The Four Generation Project: Methodology Requirements video shifts the focus to the research process itself. This is where applicants demonstrate how they develop and carry out a research plan, select region-specific sources, analyze and correlate evidence, and address conflicts in the records. The emphasis is not simply on identifying the “right” ancestor, but on showing how the research was conducted and whether conclusions are supported by sound, region-appropriate methodology.
Whether you are already familiar with the accreditation process or just beginning to explore it, these videos offer a clear roadmap for approaching the Four Generation Project with confidence. They clarify expectations, address common questions, and help applicants approach their work with intention and consistency.
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ICAPGen℠ 