Document Analysis Skills

Applicants for certification are sent a copy of an historical document that relates to the geographic areas and time periods in which they normally work. The document is chosen based on the research background the applicant specified on his or her Preliminary Application Form. Applicants are asked to undertake specific tasks set out in full in The BCG Application Guide.

This gives an applicant an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to read, transcribe and abstract handwritten records, analyze their contents, and design an efficient research plan for answering a research question based on clues found in a document.

You can test your transcription and abstracting skills by opening each of the documents provided here, preparing your own transcription and an abstract, and then comparing your work to the samples below.

• 1836 North Carolina Agreement

• 1836 North Carolina Agreement – Document
• 1836 North Carolina Agreement – Transcription
• 1836 North Carolina Agreement – Abstract

• 1864 South Carolina Will

• 1864 South Carolina Will – Document
• 1864 South Carolina Will – Transcription
• 1864 South Carolina Will – Abstract

• 1911 South Carolina Deed

• 1911 South Carolina Deed – Document
• 1911 South Carolina Deed – Transcription
• 1911 South Carolina Deed – Abstract