May 19, 2025
Introduction: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega explains how helpful genealogy journals can be and provides links to several journals she herself uses. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.”
I waited eagerly this week to receive a box of periodicals from the American Quilt Study Group.
Their annual journal Uncoverings focuses on research articles on historical quilts. I read these to learn more about research, sources, and quilt history. A recent sale made it possible to almost complete my collection of the journal.
Uncoverings is not the only journal I read. My bookshelf includes Markers, the annual journal of the Association for Gravestone Studies, and the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.
Do you read journal articles? Why should genealogists take the time to read journals?
A Journal Versus a Magazine
First, let’s define what a journal is versus a magazine. Jenny L Presnell’s book The Information-Literate Historian: A Guide to Research for History Students states that:
“Journals are the medium that scholars use most often to communicate new research findings, ideas, and conclusions. By contrast, magazine articles are written by journalists trained in research and reporting techniques, and who are not typically specialists in any one specific discipline.” (p. 75)
While her definition of magazine authors is limited, overall, her explanation of the difference in the two publications is helpful. She also writes that:
“The audience for journals includes academics, specialists, and researchers in the field on which the journal focuses… The frequency of publication is usually quarterly or less. Articles generally contain many footnotes and a bibliography of sources.” (p. 74)
A magazine’s articles might be an easier read than a journal’s, which is going to be more academic and scholarly. While a magazine article might educate you about resources and websites, a journal’s articles are going to help you understand proper methodology using case studies. A journal article can take longer to read, but in the end it’s worth it for what you will learn that will improve your research abilities.
Genealogy Journals
So, what genealogy journals might you be interested in?
This journal is part of the member benefits available for National Genealogical Society (NGS) members. According to the NGS website:
“Since 1912, the National Genealogical Society Quarterly has published material concerning all regions of the nation and all ethnic groups including case studies; essays on new methodology and little-known resources; critical reviews of current books, and previously unpublished source materials.”
You can read more about the NGSQ at https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/ngsq/. Members have access to the online archives dating back to 1912.
This journal from the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) has been published quarterly since 1847 and is available to NEHGS (American Ancestors) members. Their website states that it focuses “on authoritative compiled genealogies.” Typical articles also solve genealogical problems, identify immigrant origins, or present treatments of multiple generations.
Known as TAG, this journal was founded in 1922 by Donald Lines Jacobus and, according to its website:
“is an independent quarterly journal dedicated to the elevation of genealogical scholarship through carefully documented analyses of genealogical problems and through short compiled genealogies.”
A consolidated table of contents and subscription information is found on the TAG website.
This is an online, open-access journal that is free to readers. According to its website:
“Genealogy is an international, scholarly, peer-reviewed, open access journal devoted to the analysis of genealogical narratives (with applications for family, race/ethnic, gender, migration and science studies) and scholarship that uses genealogical theory and methodologies to examine historical processes. The journal is published quarterly online by MDPI.”
From the Genealogy website you can sign up to receive email alerts when new issues are available.
Other Journals
Reading genealogy journals is a great way to become a better genealogist, but there are other journals that you may be interested in depending on your research focus. Searching relevant keywords in online periodical indexes such as JSTOR or Google Scholar can help you identify articles and journals that you may be interested in.
What Are You Reading?
Reading a journal might be intimidating because it can be a more difficult read than a magazine article. But the way you read a journal article is different than the way you read a magazine article. I like physical copies of a journal so that I can annotate them as I read with pens and highlighters.
A journal article may not be something you read in one sitting. You may find it easier to read a few pages and then come back to it. I often will read the introduction and the conclusion first so that I understand what the article is about, and then I go back and read the article paragraph by paragraph.
One resource for learning how to read journal articles is the NGSQ article by Dr. Thomas W. Jones, “Getting the Most from Case Studies in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.”
Yes, journal articles should be studied and pondered and that takes time, but you will benefit in the long run. Take some time to explore journals and learn more about genealogical research.
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Note on the header image: woman reading a genealogy journal.
Credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html
