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48 About Genealogical Standards of Evidence
periodical featuring lengthier articles about genealogical
records, individual research experiences and newly indexed
or abstracted sources. A narrative family biography or
descriptive research experience is almost always welcome.
Recognizing that your initially proposed topic will
probably have a distinct local, geographic or ethnic appeal,
you can consult the periodicals of specific societies for their
variations in style and content. And it is always wise to
enquire first, with a note about your intended topic. Some
periodicals have their own "author's style sheet" that they
send when you query them about your proposed article.
When you decide on your topic, make an outhne of the
points you want to cover in it. Have all your research notes
at hand. The article needs a beginning, a middle and an end
(simplistic, but necessary in blocking your points). The
beginning is an introduction to your topic and what you
wanted to accomplish when it interested you. The middle
describes your progress through a research story or
problem. The end summarizes your initial goal and the
results. When you get down to the actual writing, keep
going. Complete your draft even if you are missing some
details that can be inserted later. After completion, you can
work on refining the points you want to make, your
composition and style. Asking others to read your final
draft before sen&ng it away to an editor is also good practice.
At any level, there are some basics on whch every e&tor
will agree: the article should be oped, double-spaced, with
adequate margins all around. The purpose of this is to provide
enough white space for the editor to do his or her job. The
basic English grammar and composition you learned back in
grade school is fairly essential. An editor can "fix" spelling, but
is not expected to rewrite or reconstruct your entire
submission. Thoughtful ecbtors will offer helpful advice to a