Genealogy: Theory and Practice

Published in Sukutieto 2/1995, pp. 7–9.

If one wants to consider constructively what significance Finnish genealogy has — especially in a scientific sense — it is first necessary to think about what “significance” can mean. The field of genealogy must be divided into parts, and the significance of each part examined separately.

Applied Research

The great majority of genealogical research done in Finland is applied research: it uses existing methods and applies them in practice. Research can be said to have scientific value when it has been carried out using generally accepted methods, when the sources used are cited, and when the results can be considered reliable. The results are practical: who belongs to the family, in what way, and what are their biographical merits.

One might ask how many researchers are conscious of their method. Most probably proceed from one communion register to the next, occasionally consulting church history books, without thinking about the method by which they draw conclusions. Most genealogists are enthusiasts; their approach is practical. They say, for instance, “that is the same person who appeared in the previous communion register.” Methodologically it is important to establish whether a person appearing in different sources is one and the same. The whole research is a chain of such conclusions.

Conclusions remain straightforward as long as church records are sufficiently complete. The communion registers and church history books together form a double system of population records. Normally either series would be sufficient for exact conclusions. But at the latest by the 18th century problems arise, because the church record series are not complete. Additional source series are then needed.

Basic Research

Basic research in genealogy is that which seeks to develop research methods or creates fundamental capacities for applied research. One can ask whether genealogy has methods that are its own. Most methods are borrowed from other disciplines, primarily history. If the answer is negative, the question follows: should specific methods be developed for genealogy? Could new methods yield new results or extract more from existing research?

Explicit development of research methods in Finnish genealogy has been limited. In principle there should be multiple different methods from which practitioners could choose the most suitable for each situation.

There is other basic research besides the development of methods: genealogical theory. As a theory it is not sufficient to have various systems for presenting ancestors and for numbering them. At least in Finnish, I know of no book that properly explains all the concepts of the field. A conceptual system is an essential part of theory.

Types of Genealogical Publication

1. Genealogical studies (sukututkimukset) are in nature applied research, provided they meet the basic conditions of scholarship regarding method, sources and reliability.

2. Research into family origins is generally more or less problematic because of sparse sources, ancient dates or other reasons. Such work requires more demanding work than ordinary applied research; sources may be sparse, subject to interpretation and mutually contradictory.

3. Source publications and indexes (lähdejulkaisut ja hakemistot) greatly ease the work of all researchers, though their compilation is not generally regarded as scientifically significant. In my view, at least the publication of sources that are difficult to access is scientifically significant, because it requires systematic immersion in that particular source series.

4. Guidebooks and textbooks are important for education. A good textbook has scientific merit. The field has produced many guidebooks at various levels. A proper textbook is still lacking. Who will write the textbook Genealogy: Theory and Practice?

5. Family history books (sukukirjat) deserve separate treatment. The most significant publications of family associations appear as family histories. These can be of interest not only to genealogists but also to historians of population, region, society, tradition, nomenclature, and even law and medicine — anyone who can apply a biographical, local-historical or family perspective.

The Finnish Genealogical Society

Finland has several regional research associations, but for scientific significance the Finnish Genealogical Society (Suomen Sukututkimusseura, SSS) cannot be ignored. The SSS, founded in 1917, is the only clearly scientific genealogical society in Finland.

Its publication output is substantial. Among the most enduring works are source publications — the oldest school matriculation records and probate inventories — and articles in the journal Genos that trace the origins of families. Work of lasting value includes Osmo Durchman’s systematic survey of what Finnish church records exist and what has been destroyed, an essential foundation for all later work.

Does the SSS’s output include writings on genealogical theory or methods? At least some articles on research methods can be found. I have myself tried in two Genos articles to develop the technique of inference. The task that remains is ample.

Conclusion

Paradoxically, in my view the development of Finnish genealogy as a scientific discipline will require distancing itself from the role of auxiliary to history. It would be worthwhile to approach the social sciences and ask whether they have something methodologically to offer genealogists. And it should remain a goal to establish, in some college or university, at least one post whose holder’s duties include the development of genealogical theory and methods.