About

Learn more about the NGSQ Study Groups.

What are NGSQ Study Groups?

The NGSQ Study Groups meet monthly (except December) to discuss and examine one article from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ).

Your commitment is to show up each month prepared to discuss the article. It is to your benefit to try to attend each meeting; however, these groups are informal, and regular attendance is not a requirement.

New members are accepted on an ongoing basis. Current groups and their availability are listed below.

Current Groups

The NGSQ Study Groups meet monthly (excluding December) on the day and time listed below.

This group meets in a Google Group asynchronous format. Members may respond in writing to the posted questions for study at any time during the month.

It is helpful to have a Google account for easier access to Google Groups.

This group meets using Basecamp text chat on the first Monday of the month at 5:00 p.m. Pacific / 6:00 p.m. Mountain / 7:00 p.m. Central / 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

No additional software or equipment is required.

This group is limited to eight members and is currently full. New members will be added to the waitlist on a first-come, first-served basis.

This group meets via Zoom on the third Monday of the month, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific / 12:00 p.m. Mountain / 1:00 p.m. Central / 2:00 p.m. Eastern.

This is a live video chat, so a webcam and microphone are required. For a better experience, please download and install the Zoom client software.

This group meets via Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific / 6:00 p.m. Mountain / 7:00 p.m. Central / 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

This is a live video chat, so a webcam and microphone are required. For a better experience, please download and install the Zoom client software.

This group meets in the Second Life virtual world on the second Tuesday of the month, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific / 6:00 p.m. Mountain / 7:00 p.m. Central / 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

You must download the free Second Life viewer or another third-party viewer and create an avatar before your first meeting. A microphone for voice chat is optional. Text chat may be used if preferred.

This group meets via Zoom on the third Tuesday of the month, at 7:00 a.m. Pacific / 8:00 a.m. Mountain / 9:00 a.m. Central / 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

This is a live video chat, so a webcam and microphone are required. For a better experience, please download and install the Zoom client software.

This group meets via Zoom on the first Thursday of the month, at 12:00 p.m. Pacific / 1:00 p.m. Mountain / 2:00 p.m. Central / 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

This is a live video chat, so a webcam and microphone are required. For a better experience, please download and install the Zoom client software.

This group is limited to twelve members and is currently full. New members will be added to the waitlist on a first-come, first-served basis.

This group meets via Zoom on the third Friday of the month, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific / 11:00 a.m. Mountain / 12:00 p.m. Central / 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

This is a live video chat, so a webcam and microphone are required. For a better experience, please download and install the Zoom client software.

join a group

Benefits

There are many benefits to participating in an NGSQ Study Group.

Quality Articles

Read and study case study articles written by some of the leading genealogists in the field.

Accountability

Participation means reading each article and being prepared to discuss it at the monthly meetings.

Flexible

Several groups meet at various times on different platforms.

Learn From Peers

Group members range from advanced professionals to intermediate genealogists.

Vibrant Community

Have fun discussing the articles and learn from other genealogists.

Grow

Reading and discussing the articles will help you grow as a genealogist!

What People are Saying

Here’s what our group members are saying about the NGSQ Study Group program.

  • After a several-decade break in working on my genealogy, I decided the pandemic was the time to update my skills. I wanted to take the Boston University certificate program, but I was not sure I was ready. So I joined an NGSQ study group and worked through the assigned papers for one year before I felt ready to sign up for Boston U. The NGSQ study group exposed me to excellence in research, the genealogy standards, exhaustive research, new sources, methodologies, and writing skills. I continue to participate in my group and have no intention of stopping.
    Geraldine Knatz
    Genealogist
  • We may never find our ancestors mentioned in the Q, but the writings of others can point us to new resources, new methodologies, and new ethnic groups of which we may be unfamiliar. The Study Group has been invaluable to me and gives me the opportunity to meet with others, compare observations, and dig even deeper into the articles.
    Jill Morelli
    Genealogist

Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not find the answer to your question here, please contact us.

The NGSQ Study Groups are comprised of professional genealogists, intermediate researchers, and others who want to improve their critical analysis skills.

There are no prerequisites for joining an NGSQ Study Group. However, it is beneficial to have read a few articles from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly prior to joining in order to be familiar with genealogical case studies and the types of articles that will be studied.

There is no fee to join the NGSQ Study Groups. However, you may need to join the National Genealogical Society in order to access the articles for study. Your local library or genealogical society may also have issues of the NGSQ.

All issues of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly can be found in the members-only section of the National Genealogical Society website or in printed copies of the journal. We cannot provide copies of the articles because they are under copyright by NGS and/or the original author. The current list of articles for study can be found HERE.

Each group varies in size. Some groups have 20 or more members; others have only a half dozen or so. Since attendance is not required, not all members show up to every group meeting.

New group members are accepted at any time.

It depends on which group you join. You will need to download the free Second Life viewer if you choose to join the group meeting on that platform.

Yes! Learning how to analyze the methodology and evidence in a genealogical case study is an important skill for becoming a Certified Genealogist or an Accredited Genealogist.