The Guild recognises that a one-name study can represent a considerable amount of work to research and maintain. Before registering a study name, members are recommended to have at least established an understanding of the expected size and extent of the study, and the likely geographical areas to which research should be directed.

A one-name study is generally built around the large-scale sets of key genealogical data referred to as "core genealogical datasets" in the study principles associated with a one-name study. Typically these core datasets will vary for each of the key countries being researched according to the availability of genealogical records. In some countries these sets of data are organised and published on a national level; in most on a regional or local level; and in some hardly at all.

The most important records fall within the following categories:

The majority of researchers find that they start their research by using free and subscription-based genealogical data services on the web that aggregate these kinds of datasets. At some point, as a study develops, it is natural that it will start to focus on a wider range of record types and on original records specific to individual locations.

Long thin blue line © Guild of One-Name Studies 2012 This page was last modified 23 Mar 2012, 23:45
Page owner: