tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post4836975533561453371..comments2023-03-29T12:49:14.244+01:00Comments on The Professional Descendant: Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical Studies - A Personal ViewKirsty F Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-32442985143231768362012-12-10T09:02:05.801+00:002012-12-10T09:02:05.801+00:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00191202050678117570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-41037442480461420412011-08-17T23:03:16.798+01:002011-08-17T23:03:16.798+01:00I've signed up for this year's PG Cert and...I've signed up for this year's PG Cert and am looking forward to it very much. I considered the other options mentioned by Kirsty but I particularly wanted the Strathclyde course because it's been around longer, has a formal certificate and opportunities to carry on and, probably most important, my main interest is in Scottish genealogy anyway. I looked at Dundee and the modular structure was good if you just want to taste... and also considered IHGS which is on my doorstep and would've been good for face-to-face - but (for me) lacked the Scottish focus. Pharos I quite like for short, reasonably priced, specialist courses.mcwackyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00942476839310695245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-57655576583889800092011-08-02T12:16:59.867+01:002011-08-02T12:16:59.867+01:00Thanks Kirsty. I've pretty well made up my min...Thanks Kirsty. I've pretty well made up my mind and just wanted to air some thoughts. Thanks again for your comments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-66403965914084474392011-08-02T10:25:23.409+01:002011-08-02T10:25:23.409+01:00Re: Previous Comment
The course isn't perfect...Re: Previous Comment<br /><br />The course isn't perfect but, as someone who considered themselves pretty knowledgeable about genealogy, I certainly learnt a lot and I would recommend it to others, provided you have the time (& money) to spend on it.<br /><br />I've just come to the end of the PG Dip and have decided to take a break, but a number of my fellow students who started the PG Cert with me are now going on to the MSc which is probably a good recommendation for the course.<br /><br />The main thing to decide is if the course suits you. I'd say read all the information on the Strathclyde website and then compare it with others courses such as the Dundee Genealogy course http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cais/certificate/ and the IHGS http://www.ihgs.ac.uk/<br /><br />You might also consider doing a shorter course such as through http://www.pharostutors.com/ <br /><br />Good luck whatever you decide but if you want to do the Strathclyde course you may need to apply fairly soon as there are a limited number of places and these do get filled up.<br /><br />KirstyKirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-17314959910386248382011-08-02T09:50:15.612+01:002011-08-02T09:50:15.612+01:00I've been following the comments on this. Some...I've been following the comments on this. Some very interesting remarks. I'm thinking of doing the PG Cert this year bit not so sure now given what Anonymous said. It's a lot of money to do this course and I don't want to waste it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-5633149926051484702011-07-13T11:17:59.096+01:002011-07-13T11:17:59.096+01:00In reply to the previous comment:
I'm sorry t...In reply to the previous comment:<br /><br />I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad experience of the course. I'm now studying for the Postgraduate Diploma and the length of time to receive feedback for coursework is still a big complaint among students. However, this does seem to be an issue with a lot of higher education courses.<br /><br />Each year the course is being updated and altered in response to student feedback so hopefully some of these issues will be sorted out in the future.<br /><br />KirstyKirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-74300646634319604472011-07-12T21:09:09.241+01:002011-07-12T21:09:09.241+01:00I must admit that this course promised a lot but c...I must admit that this course promised a lot but completely failed to deliver anything worthwhile. The response from the tutors was appalling and as for the time delay between submitting work and receiving feedback is this measured in aeons or centuries ... I did not expect the course at this level to be so centred on referencing and devoid of anything that was not already known ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-11207447517909514982010-09-28T14:00:49.178+01:002010-09-28T14:00:49.178+01:00Thanks to everyone for the congratulations!
To th...Thanks to everyone for the congratulations!<br /><br />To the previous commenter: Thanks for the advice. I recently purchased the PDF version of 'Evidence Explained' from http://www.footnote.com/evidenceexplained/ but haven't had a chance to study it as yet. I agree that a uniform referencing style is a good idea and it's a shame this book isn't better known in the UK.<br /><br />KirstyKirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-1437575436805251222010-09-28T13:44:02.047+01:002010-09-28T13:44:02.047+01:00Hello Kirsty:
Congrats on your achievement, and w...Hello Kirsty:<br /><br />Congrats on your achievement, and wishing you the best on your diploma course. As for the referencing - I think that using Elizabeth Shawn Mills' Evidence Explained is a good way to use as a template for referencing sources. Mills pretty much uses the Chicago Manual of Style for her basis of referencing. She is a very stong advocate for genealogists everywhere to use this as a way of making genealogical sources uniform in referencing. It shouldn't be just for US and Canadian research, but worldwide.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-47408938178368554632010-09-26T04:49:20.527+01:002010-09-26T04:49:20.527+01:00Well done, Kirsty.
As I contemplate study from the...Well done, Kirsty.<br />As I contemplate study from the other end of the earth I find your (and Chris') comments most useful. Thankyou for sharing your thoughts on the course - it is much more useful than a course brochure.<br />Best wishes for the Diploma courseGeniAushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09074874999181040071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-51336200802799939942010-09-25T21:24:57.190+01:002010-09-25T21:24:57.190+01:00Congratulations Kirsty! Enjoy your few months off ...Congratulations Kirsty! Enjoy your few months off before the Diploma.Alex Coleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04504765135990427355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-46673594523580679252010-09-25T18:35:08.573+01:002010-09-25T18:35:08.573+01:00Hi Kirsty,
After two years I still never got a sa...Hi Kirsty,<br /><br />After two years I still never got a satisfactory answer on how to reference a website using Harvard. For something so academic and scientific it definitely seemed open to a lot of interpretation... :) I suspect the use of Jedi mind tricks will be the only way I might ever get a definitive answer!<br /><br />ChrisChris Patonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05073425769475523109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-28395893504064204182010-09-25T18:12:17.634+01:002010-09-25T18:12:17.634+01:00Thanks Chris!
I think previous students had found...Thanks Chris!<br /><br />I think previous students had found the information on referencing too complicated with the result that we were given a simple version - so naturally complained that it didn't cover enough examples and record types. I suspect there's no simple solution to that one!<br /><br />Re: English records - we were given handouts from Richard Baker's lectures which were indeed very good, but rather highlighted the lack of English coverage elsewhere. For example an assignment that was supposed to be on English Parish Record turned into another one on Civil Registration - despite the fact that the London Parish Registers on Ancestry could have usefully been used (plenty of Muddocks there after all!). But possibly it was just me that would have liked to see more English stuff as I don't think I heard that complaint from other students.<br /><br />Looking forward to the 'fun' of the Diploma!<br /><br />KirstyKirsty F Wilkinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558508787388848119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649373752017919445.post-67055737925910279912010-09-25T17:53:50.402+01:002010-09-25T17:53:50.402+01:00Congratulations on passing Kirsty. I had to have a...Congratulations on passing Kirsty. I had to have a little chuckle at your critique, mainly on the referencing bit, as I think we had the same experience on that front in 2006/07! I would fully agree though that the certificate is a worthwhile achievement, particularly for those wishing to learn more about Scottish genealogy. Slightly surprised on your comments about the English side of things - we had Richard Baker up from the IHGS to give two superb lectures on English land records and inheritance when I did it (it was attendance based back then), though things have perhaps changed now the course is totally online. Agree on the Irish front though. <br /><br />Good luck to you and any fellow students progressing on to the diploma! A very different kettle of fish - the highlight for me was the English manorial records section, hopefully that is still part of it, as I suspect you'll have a lot of fun with that!<br /><br />ChrisChris Patonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05073425769475523109noreply@blogger.com