Genealogy is at the cusp of acceptance as an academic discipline. However, there are no peer-reviewed scholarly journals in which to publish the outcome of research into, and upon, genealogy per se. While genealogy shares many techniques and attributes with history as a subject of study, it is wider in both investigation and impact. Popular and scholarly history have much to gain by including the skills and methods of the genealogical researcher. One option is to present genealogy, history and biography as popular, mass-market books. The two-fold aspiration is (1) that the public will be drawn to an understanding of history and the place of genealogy in historical researches, and (2) that history professionals will understand and apply the methodologies of genealogy to both popular and scholarly history publishing. Using the currently-popular genealogy and local/personal history as the "draw", it is possible to interest and educate the public in historical and social matters. The same is achieved by linking biography and genealogy to popular literature. The overall impact on public understanding, it is suggested, is far greater than would be achieved by any trickle-down effect from more conventional scholarly publishing. (This would be a valid contention to test by research, but no claim is made here that it has been investigated other than by anecdotal reports). It is proposed that the publications submitted for consideration form a coherent body of work in that they demonstrate the value of genealogical methodology and research skills in aeras as apparently diverse and literary biography and local history; that their intellectual merit resides in bringing new information to light and applying that to the better understand of people, places, events; and that there is a contribution to knowledge thereby. That this knowledge now resides in a "popular" public domain is not to its detriment: rather, it renders it more valuable, and in any case it is not hidden from specialist examination by being out in the wild. The publications submitted make explicit the key skills of learning and research at doctoral level, including analysis, creativity, criticality, discrimination, evaluation, research management and synthesis, and that the candidate is a competent researcher who knows the subjects and can plan, implement and evaluate research activities.

No description available.

No description available.

The massive expansion of electronic resources has been identified as one of the major drivers behind the ‘explosion’ in the popularity of family history, which bring ease, convenience and accessibility to some parts of the research process. Amongst this expanse of easily-accessible raw materials, online local studies materials (recording both historical and contemporary aspects of a community) can add real context and value to researchers’ findings and experience; turning a genealogy into a family history. However, the vast majority of these do not appear visible to online family history researchers. Through three central foci (users, e-family history resources, and Local Studies Collections), this research investigates these resources and collections from the perspective of users, to establish how to make the added value of the local studies collections more visible and encourage increased engagement for those who cannot visit collections in person. Specific evaluative criteria for e-family history resources are presented, contributing to practitioners’ awareness and understanding of their nature; in turn helping maintain their service quality to researchers. Using a hybrid (primarily ethnographic) research approach, the study also examines the online research behaviour of family historians, identifying a taxonomy of actions (seeking of genealogical facts, local or social history; communicating with other researchers or resources; locating resources or instructive information; managing own information), strategies (search modifications and incorporation of background knowledge) and outcomes (outcome; direction (projected and actual)). From these categories, a model of Family Historians’ online information seeking has been developed. Researchers have both informational and affective needs, and are highly emotionally attached to the research process. Users universally used Ancestry, FamilySearch, ScotlandsPeople, and Genes Reunited far more than other sites, seeking out quality informational content and unique records, which must be successful for researchers. Google was a major method of access to these. Very few participants were preaware of ‘e-local studies’ websites, and were surprised by the variations in quality, inconsistencies in terminology and navigation, and invisibility of quality content. Despite a lack of ease of use, the content present on e-local studies sites and their usefulness and value had been demonstrated to researchers. This suggests significant demand for local information of this kind online where it is available and made known.