The Family History Writing Contest
Deadline for Submissions—31 December Annually
To encourage members to write a family history that covers at least three (3) generations and not more than four (4).
Prize
- The person who compiles the most outstanding family history will receive an expense-paid trip to the next NGS Family History Conference. The benefits include travel to and from the conference, hotel accommodations, conference registration fee, and a complimentary banquet ticket.
- Manuscripts meeting the requirements will be submitted to the editors of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) for consideration and will be placed in the NGS Library.
Criteria
- The Family History Writing Contest is open to all NGS members.
- Contest judges, NGS officers, NGS directors, NGS staff, their family members, and former contest winners are not eligible to enter the contest. The NGS contest, like most others in the field, is not open to fellows of the American Society of Genealogists, who are elected to that rank on the basis of extensive and exemplary scholarship.
- A paper with multiple authors will be accepted if it meets the requirements of the contest. If a winning paper has multiple authors, the prize will be awarded to the lead author.
Requirements
- Manuscript Length: Between 4,000 and 10,000 words;
- Number of Generations: 3 to 4 generations;
- Originality: not previously published and not submitted elsewhere for publication;
- Documentation: individual, specific citations (footnote form) for every statement of fact that is not public knowledge;
- Appearance: 11- or 12-point type, 1" margins, laser-quality print;
- Numbering system: NGSQ.
Manuscript Length
The manuscript must be between 4,000 and 10,000 words, including the title, text, and footnotes. However, the title that appears as a running head on each page is counted only on the first page. Illustrations, maps, and photographs essential to the story may be used, but any captions should be included in the word count.
Number of Generations
The genealogy must cover at least three generations and not more than four, all descending lines, including female lines. The chosen progenitor and spouse will be the first generation. All their children, with spouse(s), constitute the second generation. All grandchildren, with spouse(s), constitute the third generation. It is not necessary to list the children in the fourth generation, but a contestant may do so. However, it is necessary to fully develop only three nuclear families: the progenitor, one of his/her children, and one of his/her grandchildren.
Originality
A genealogy should not be entered in this contest if it has been submitted or will be submitted for publication before the contest ends, or if it has been evaluated by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG). However, a genealogy may be submitted simultaneously to the NGS contest and the BCG provided it is cleared with both organizations first. If the family the contestant chooses has already been included in a published genealogy or article, it may be submitted here only if (1) the published source contained no more than the name, spouse, and their vital dates, or (2) the previously published work contained so many errors, a new genealogy is required to correct the mistakes. If an article alone would be sufficient to correct the errors, that family would not be a wise choice for the contest. In case of doubt, contact the contest chair
Documentation
Any fact stated that is not common knowledge must be documented, preferably from its original source. Over-use of secondary (derivative) sources, especially if it is possible to trace the information back to its original source, will be cause for judges to assign a lower rating. Elizabeth Shown Mills’s Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace is recommended.
Appearance
The manuscript should be printed on a letter-quality printer with one-inch margins all around. Use 11- or 12-point font size. The title of the genealogy and page number must appear on each page. Notes and references should appear as footnotes at the bottom of the page to which they apply.
Format
Use the format established by the NGSQ. Contest entrants are strongly urged to read papers written by recent contest winners, usually found in the December issues of the NGSQ. The 2007 winner, "A Family for Suzanne" by Ruth Randall, is available here for you to read.
"A Family for Suzanne" (PDF 941KB)
Evaluation
The criteria for excellence in a paper rely heavily on how you demonstrate your research skills. You must show the ability to use and analyze a wide variety of original documents. It should not be just the summarization of the work of others. Tell a story, place your family in historical context, but make sure the historical aspect is really relevant to your family and make if brief. The emphasis should be on the original research you did to create the family history.
Results
If an entry should not meet all requirements, the manuscript will be returned with an explanation. All other contestants will receive comments on their entries after a winner has been selected by the judges.
Mailing Instructions
Prepare a cover sheet containing your name, full address, telephone number, and NGS membership number. Include the title of the manuscript, number of words, and the year of the contest. This sheet will be removed before submission to the judges, so there should be an inside title page without the personal information contained on the cover sheet. Package your entry, including the cover sheet and the manuscript with all pages in order. Don’t bind or staple the sheets, because they must be photocopied. If you want to be notified that the manuscript has been received, enclose a self-addressed postcard. As a precaution, place cardboard or poster board on top and bottom of the entry before packaging it. To ensure safe arrival, use a sturdy envelope.
Mail to:
National Genealogical Society
Attn: Family History Writing Contest
3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300
Arlington, Virginia 22204-4370 USA
E-mail contact information is required for all submissions.
Questions? Contact the NGS Awards Chair at awards@ngsgenealogy.org.
*Certified Genealogist, cg, Certified Genealogical Lecturer and cgl are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation and used under license by the Board’s associates.
