User:NextExit/sandbox2

Cluster genealogy is a research technique employed by genealogists when a question of identity, relationship, event, or situation cannot be resolved using the records left by the person in question. In cluster genealogy, the records of that person's family members,  in-laws,  friends, neighbors, and associates are utilized by the researcher to resolve the question. Cluster genealogy is also employed as a routine method of research by genealogists who adhere to the Genealogical Proof Standard or similar standards.

The first step in the cluster genealogy research process is to identify and prioritize the persons to be investigated. If family members have not already been researched, they would normally be the first choice.

The terms "cluster genealogy," "whole family research," and "neighborhood reconstruction" are sometimes used interchangeably, but these research methods differ in scope. Whole family research refers to the practice of establishing genealogical facts for nuclear families, rather than just ancestral couples. "Neighborhood reconstruction"....for the same purpose as CG or to do a community history.

Cluster genealogy is a time-consuming method of research. Some genealogists utilize this technique only when other methods fail to secure the answer to the genealogical question at hand. Other researchers, however, practice cluster genealogy as a matter of routine in order to better place ancestors within the context of their community.

=Notes=

=References= Croom, Emily Anne. 2000. The Sleuth Book for Genealogists. Cincinnati: Betterway Books. ISBN 1-55870-532-5. Especially chapter 3, "Broadening the Scope: Cluster Genealogy."

Rising, Marsha Hoffman. 2005. The Family Tree Problem Solver. Cincinnati: Family Tree Books. ISBN 1-55870-685-2. Especially chapter 4, "Collecting Collateral Kin."

=Further Reading= Lenzen, Connie. "Proving a Maternal Line: The Case of Frances B. Whitney". Originally published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, 82, no. 1 (March 1994): 17–31. A case study illustrating the use of the cluster genealogy technique.