<html><body><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#000000; font-size:10pt;"><div>I guess that I must have a slightly different view - I don't think that the discussion of the location and use of records can be so easily divorced from a discussion of research methodology and problem-solving. Frankly, I don't think that I have ever seen a case study or  a lesson in problem solving that did not involve the location and use of records resources.</div> <div> </div> <div>As always, of course, the devil is in the details - in this case, in the "use" of located records.  I suspect that what many people mean by "research methodology"  in this context is really data analysis - how one dissects and evaluates a record once that it has been found so that you can suck all of the nectar from it. Or how one distills and connects information from a series of seemingly disparate records to create a map or picture that makes sense.</div> <div> </div> <div>Analysis can be taught, but it is exceedingly difficult in the typical one hour lecture format.</div> <div> </div> <div>Jack Butler</div> <div> </div> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 8px; FONT-FAMILY: verdana; COLOR: black; MARGIN-LEFT: 8px; FONT-SIZE: 10pt" mce_style="border-left: 2px solid blue; margin-left: 8px; padding-left: 8px; font-size:10pt; color:black; font-family:verdana;"> <div >-------- Original Message --------<BR>Subject: Re: [APG Public List] National Genealogical Meetings<BR>From: jfonkert@aol.com<BR>Date: Fri, October 02, 2009 2:45 pm<BR>To: apgpubliclist@apgen.org<BR><BR> <DIV>This thread and the concurrent "Who are we?" thread have at times confused two questions: 1) the content/subject matter of talks, and 2) the presentation format (lecture v. forum and discussion).  Just a few observations from my vantage point...</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>- There clearly is room for a broad range of subject matter in a national conference program -- both lectures about how to find and use records and presentations that illustrate research and problem-solving methodology.  Personally, I'd like to see a bit more of the latter.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>- Programs indeed need to appeal to all levels of experience, beginners to advanced professionals.  It strikes me that it isn't easy to figure out where the boundaries are between beginner, intermediate and advanced.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>- Basic education is an important part of national conferences, but national conferences are not the primary educational resource for most genealogists and family history researchers.  Most genealogical education occurs at state and local levels.  At least in MInnesota, I can attest that local and state societies offer classes on things like census research, immigration and land records that are the equal of many talks I've heard at national conferences.  On the other hand, national conferences are uniquely situated to offer more specialized educational topics such as offered by people like Claire Bettag and Valerie Melchior.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This is not to say that such topics should not be on national programs.  They by all means should be.  From what I'm told, national conferences draw a significant part of their attendance from people of all experience levels living within driving range of the site.  But, I would like to see more presentations based on research and problem-solving.  And, I would enjoy some of the speaker-audience interaction that others have advocated.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'm sure we don't all agree, which is why putting together conference programs -- both nationally and locally -- is a very difficult task.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Jay Fonkert, CG</DIV> <DIV>Saint Paul, MN</DIV> <DIV>President, Minnesota Genealogical Society<BR><BR></DIV> <HR> _______________________________________________<BR>APG Public Mailing List<BR><a href="http://apgen.org/publications/publiclist/" target=_blank mce_href="http://apgen.org/publications/publiclist/">http://apgen.org/publications/publiclist/</a><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></span></body></html>