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The Background 13
authors of educational materials, and advocates for the
preservation of and access to original documentation.
For some time, genealogists have acknowledged the
parallels between their own work and legal preparation for
court cases. Family detective work, the gathering of
evidence, the arguing of proof, all seemed to suit the
precedents of the legal tradition. Phrases were borrowed
from this tradition, such as the preponderance of evidence
principle, which will be discussed in the next chapter.
Education for the ever-increasing numbers of novice
genealogists became a demanding new reality, especially
with the Internet's new brand of curious beginner, who
often appropriates derivative material on Web sites and
databases as gospel truth without seeing or searching for
original sources. From the American Society of Genealogists
and the National Genealogical Society came the
independent Board for Certification of Genealogists (1964);
from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came
their Accreditation Department (1964). VC7hile these bodies
evaluate individuals for professional research practice, they
do not limit themselves to "genealogists for hire"; they
encourage the self-education of all family historians.
From its creation in 1983, the Genealogical Institute of
the hlaritimes was a similar leader in Canada - a success
story in the Atlantic provinces. The Institute has offered
itself as a role model for peer examination and accreditation
to other potential regional structures in our country. The
Bureau quibecoise d'attestation de competence en
ginkalogie, based in the city of Quibec, and the
Saskatchewan Genealogical Society have also developed
programs for their geographic areas.
Another adjunct to the interest in family history and
pedigrees has been the development of lineage societies.