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Advanced One-Name Studies (902)

Take one-name study skills to new levels. Whatever drew you into the investigation of a surname you are now deeply immersed in gathering and analysing data. You have mastered the practical aspects of managing your project and are eager to turn your discoveries into something of lasting value.

Increasingly accepted by the academic world, one-name studies are growing up. Collecting and studying the origins of surnames using genealogy techniques is no longer only undertaken by family historians with personal problems to solve. All one-namers with a substantial collection of data are potentially in a position to shed new light on old historical problems. A one-name study provides the glue that melds together disciplines as diverse as population studies, place-names, etymology, as well as genealogy and local history. During the course, whilst the focus is mainly aimed at those researching surnames whose origins are in the British Isles, there is also limited emphasis on surnames whose origins are in other parts of the world.

In this course, you will be shown how, with an interdisciplinary approach, your research and analysis has the potential to shed new light on the past and contribute to historical knowledge.

The course includes sections on the theory of one-name studies, a review of current published work on surnames, introduces more complex interdisciplinary analysis, and shows you how to bring your historical skills up to scratch. There is an emphasis on analysing data and synthesis or 'adding value' to your results, as well as working towards the publication of your findings.

This course is the third of three courses regarding One-Name Studies and builds on the initial learning from the Introduction to One-Name Studies (901) course and the Practicalities of a One-Name Study (903) course. We strongly advise you to take at least the Introduction to One-Name Studies course before taking this course, even if your one-name study has been running for some time.

Set books:
There are two set books for this course:

  • Debbie Kennett, The Surnames Handbook, A Guide to family name research in the 21st century, The History Press, 2012
  • Colin D Rogers, The Surname Detective. Investigating surname distribution in England, 1086 - present day, Manchester University Press, 1995

Students are asked to obtain a copies of these before the course starts, available from various online bookshops.

Students will normally have a registered One-Name Study with the Guild of One-Name Studies and should be familiar with the Guild's seven pillars of wisdom. If you are not already a Guild member, please contact us for advice before paying for the course. Students should note that this course is not about how to do advanced genealogy research.

At the end of the course, those students who successfully complete a 2 - 3,000 word written article about one-name studies will be awarded the Guild Certificate of Attainment. The best articles will be submitted for publication in the Journal of One Name Studies.

Lesson Headings:

  • The One-Name Study theory and practice
  • Interdisciplinary studies - Acquiring the right skill set
  • Surname case studies - Learning from others
  • Synthesis - More than family history
  • Spread the Word - Get Published

Relevant countries: General

What to expect:

Each lesson includes lesson notes, activities and forum exercises for students to complete during the week and a one-hour live tutorial (text chat or Zoom) with the tutor and the rest of the class. Times for the tutorials are set at the beginning of each course by the tutor.

See How the Courses Work.

Students said:

"I absolutely loved this course and hope it becomes a Guild rite of passage. The support notes and the links were all great."

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Start Date Available Soon (Non-assessed: £58, Assessed: £76)

Click here to complete a quick form to be added to our waiting list and to be informed when dates for this course are available.

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