About

About the Register of Qualified Genealogists

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The Register of Qualified Genealogists provides, and makes public, a record of those genealogists who hold a recognised qualification in the field of genealogy and associated practices, and who may be willing to provide professional services in that field. 1

The Register of Qualified Genealogists is an organisation that acts for and on behalf of genealogists to:

provide a registration service for qualified genealogists;
promote public and professional awareness of the availability of qualified and registered genealogists;
enhance the experience of customers for genealogical services by providing them with reliable choices;
make it possible for libraries and archives and other institutions to notify their users of the presence of qualified genealogists;
create a resource for qualified genealogists that informs them of others who can be called upon in cooperative endeavours;
improve standards in genealogical practice by encouraging practising genealogists to gain appropriate qualifications;
highlight the identity of institutions providing recognised qualifications in the field of genealogy and associated practices;
provide those registered with a recognised post-nominal (QG – Qualified Genealogist);
negotiate the availability other services to registered members, as they see fit, in support of their practice.

The purpose is therefore an enabling one on behalf of qualified genealogists, and is three-fold, serving the needs of customers for genealogical services, of individual practitioners and of the genealogical community.

The field of genealogical practice is home to a great diversity of activities and specialisms. It’s principal concern is with people, their origins and their lives – predominantly in the past but often strongly linked to the present. It seeks to understand who individuals were; who were members of their families; how those families were related to other families; how they functioned within their communities; how their communities operated within the societies and systems of their time.

Genealogy includes the search for related people and the development of pedigrees to illustrate links between them. At a deeper level it takes in an exploration of the lives of these people and a search for tangible evidence of their existence by links to documents, memorials, dwellings, land holdings and other belongings. It expands into an appreciation of their occupations and social standing and into their movements and migrations; it considers their involvement in, and influence on, historical events.

Genealogy also uses DNA studies to explore biological linkages and ancient migrations and origins.

Particular specialisms used in genealogy include the origins of names (onomastics), signs of identity and rank (heraldry), gathering biographical detail (prosopography), transcription from older scripts (palaeography). Genealogical sources can appear in any language in any country in any kind of archive so genealogy needs to take these in its stride.

Genealogical practice also includes the sharing of information through teaching, writing and broadcasting or by offering advisory services to others seeking to use genealogical information in different fields.

What is Genealogy?

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What is a Qualified Genealogist?

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A qualified genealogist is someone who works within the field of genealogical practice and has been educated to a high level across many aspects of it. Their individual aspirations and particular specialisms may be more narrowly focused but their appreciation of context is considerable as a consequence of the systematic and rigorous training they have received.

The Register of Qualified Genealogists accepts people with appropriately demanding qualifications who practice within this diverse field of genealogy. It is an inclusive community characterised by the fact that its members are aware of the breadth of the subject and bring a trained mind and substantial experience to it.

See also “Are all members of RQG qualified?” in our FAQs.
Memorial of Mary of Burgundy (1457-1482). Church of Our Lady, Bruges. Photograher: Ian Macdonald.
Fell, Brian, sculptor. (2013) The Tree of Succession. Mont Orgueil Castle, Jersey.
National Archives (Great Britain) Exchequer: King’s Remembrancer: Ancient Deeds, Series D, Stephen de Mewburne. 8 Hen. IV, (1406-1407) Piece reference E 210/4210. Kew: The National Archives.