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Education, Family History, Genealogy, Hiring a Professional, ICAPGen, Professionals, Websites

Finding the Right Genealogist: How to Use ICAPGen’s Find an AG® Professional Directory

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Snapshot of the ICAPGen website header highlighting the Find an AG Professional directory button.

By Michelle Tucker Chubenko, AG®, AGL™

Whether you are facing a brick wall, need help with international records, or want expert guidance for a specific research challenge, finding the right genealogist can make a significant difference. The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen℠) offers a searchable directory of Accredited Genealogist® (AG®) professionals designed to help researchers connect with specialists who have demonstrated expertise in specific geographic regions and research areas.

The Find an AG® Professional directory is more than a simple list of names—it is a powerful tool that can help you identify AG® professionals whose specialties closely match your research needs.

Additionally, if you are seeking a speaker for Society events, you may want to seek an Accredited Genealogist Lecturer™ (AGL™). These individuals are AG® professionals who have demonstrated excellence in both genealogical knowledge and presentation skills.

Start here: Find an AG® Professional Directory

Step 1: Begin with Keywords

The main directory search includes a keyword field in which you can use search terms, such as:

  • Surnames
  • Accreditation areas
  • Geographic locations
  • Specialized topics
  • Research topics such as DNA, military, religion, or ethnicity

Be sure to think strategically about the problem you’re trying to solve. For example, specific terms such as New Jersey, Poland, German, DNA, Jewish, Military, or Immigration. Avoid searching too broadly at first. A search for “Europe” may be too general, while “Mexico” or “Sweden” may produce more useful results.

Step 2: Use Advanced Search Features

The Advanced Search page allows you to narrow results beyond simple keywords. Advanced search can save time, especially if you have a specific goal. Filters currently include:

  • Name
  • Credential region (e.g., Canada, US African American, and others)
  • Whether a professional is accepting clients
  • Speaking availability: search for professionals available for virtual or in-person speaking
  • Residence location: search by specialty and location together for regional expertise

Search Tips for Better Results

1) Try multiple versions of a place
Genealogical research often involves changing boundaries and jurisdictions. Conduct keyword searches not only with the modern location, but with historical territory names. For example, instead of searching only Ukraine, use the historical Empires terms of Imperial Russia, Russian Empire, Galicia, Austria, or Poland.

2) Search for methodologies and specialties
Not all expertise is geographic. You may uncover specialists who work with specific record types or methodologies.

3) Review profiles carefully
Each AG® professional has the ability to present an online biographical profile which may contain accreditation areas, expertise details, additional credentials, speaking availability, client availability, links to their website, published articles and much more.

Read beyond the accreditation title. Someone accredited in one region may also have additional research strengths relevant to your project.

Step 3: Contact more than one professional

ICAPGen recommends identifying several AG® professionals before making a hiring decision. Compare specialties, project approaches, availability, and fee structures.

A brief message should include:

  • Your research question
  • Ancestor names
  • Time period
  • Geographic location
  • What you hope to accomplish

Specific information helps a genealogist determine whether they are the right fit. Read more about hiring an AG® professional: Ten Effective Steps to Hiring an AG® Professional.

One Final Tip

Think of the directory as a research tool, not just a listing of names. Experiment with search terms, combine filters, and explore profiles. A few extra minutes spent refining your search may connect you with a specialist who has exactly the expertise your research problem requires.

The right genealogist does not simply search records—they bring methodology, regional expertise, and experience to complex problems.

And sometimes, that is exactly what breaks down a brick wall.

Accreditation, Education, Family History, Genealogy, ICAPGen, Websites

Mountain States Resources

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Mt Nebo

by Claire V Brisson-Banks

When considering accreditation, one has to take into account many different things besides the location of the families you’ll be researching in your 4 generation report like knowing the resources available to conduct your research.

From the ICAPGen website, one can find a resource guide put together for each of the various regions available for accreditation. An individual can view the resource guide which covers the Mountain States, click here. This region covers Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

In addition to knowing the variety of resources listed, one also has to learn to recognize various documents also from these same states. No one resource guide or website could have all of the possible set of records available for a particular location.

With old records being digitized, captured, and being made available on various websites, learning of new record sets coming online is helpful to all researchers regardless of what level they are at in the accreditation process. As record sets are brought to our attention, they will be shared in this blog and also on our Facebook page in hopes of helping others with their research.

The following are additional records available to help with research in Arizona. One of the oldest cemeteries in the Phoenix area is the Double Butte Cemetery, an online burial database has been created by the Family History Society of Arizona. This cemetery is located in Tempe, Arizona and was formally started in 1897 however, plot sales appear to date back to 1892. The history of this cemetery is provided along with other links to help with research in this area. There is a Surname Index where anyone can list their surname who has an email address and a section called Arizona Queries where you can send a message for guidance on research in this area.

Anyone having family in this area would be wise to check out their website. Look for future articles on various records for the different testing regions as they are made known to us. The Family History Society of Arizona has done a fine job of helping out researchers with ancestors in Maricopa County, Arizona.