What does a geneaologist do?

Answer 1

A Genealogist is a person who studies family history. In the course of doing this, the genealogists must gather information on the family relationships of people (spouces, ancestors, descendents, etc.) who are members of the family of interest or who were close to it in some way. This requires seeking out archival records to determine dates and places of birth, death, marriage, migration and related personally-specific records. It is this focus on records relating to individuals who had little or no personal impact on the larger geo-political history that often distinguishes Genealogy (or Family History) from the more prestigous Study of History.

Most genealogists focus on compiling the histories of their families or close relatives. Some expand to develop expertise in the history of a particular surname, region, or ethnic group. A few become professionals and provide research work to others for a fee.