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Genealogy research has a way of producing questions that don't fit neatly into a search box — a surname spelled 4 different ways across 3 counties, a death certificate that contradicts the census by a decade, a DNA match that shouldn't exist according to the family story everyone swore was accurate. This page explains how to reach the editorial and research team at Genealogy Authority, what information makes a message genuinely useful, and what kinds of questions fall within the scope of this resource versus those better directed elsewhere.

Additional contact options

The primary channel for substantive research questions is the site's written inquiry form, which routes messages to the editorial team rather than an automated queue. For questions about specific record types — vital records, military records, immigration and naturalization records — the relevant reference pages often contain the most direct answers, since they're built around exactly the kinds of obstacles researchers hit in the field.

For questions touching on methodology — how to apply the Genealogical Proof Standard, how to structure cluster research, how to resolve a conflicting source — the content library is searchable and organized around those decision points. If a question has already been answered in depth on a reference page, the response will typically point there rather than restate it.

Social media channels are monitored but not the preferred channel for research-specific questions. A message containing a full research problem, 6 document images, and a question about Freedmen's Bureau records will get a better response through the written inquiry channel than through a platform with a character limit and an algorithm.

How to reach this office

Written inquiries can be submitted through the contact form linked in the site navigation. Email correspondence is also accepted at the address verified in the site footer.

Response times vary by volume and complexity:

1. General site questions (corrections, broken links, content suggestions) — typically acknowledged within 3 business days.
2. Research methodology questions — responses prioritize questions that haven't already been addressed in the content library; expect 5–7 business days.
3. Partnership and licensing inquiries — routed to the editorial director; allow up to 10 business days for an initial response.
4. Press and citation requests — responded to in order of receipt, generally within 5 business days.

Requests asking for complete genealogical research to be performed on behalf of a user fall outside the scope of this resource. The page on hiring a professional genealogist covers how to find credentialed researchers — including those certified through the Board for Certification of Genealogists or accredited through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists — who take on client cases.

Service area covered

Genealogy Authority is a nationally scoped reference resource with a US focus, though the content covers international record systems where they intersect with American family history — German church registers, Irish civil registration, Italian parish records, and Mexican civil registration all appear in the ethnic research sections because a meaningful share of American genealogical research terminates in those archives.

The content library addresses research across all 50 states, with particular depth in federal record systems administered through institutions like the National Archives and FamilySearch. State-level records vary considerably — South Carolina's pre-1915 vital records situation is structurally different from Minnesota's, and the content reflects those distinctions rather than flattening them into generic advice.

Inquiries about Canadian, British, or other non-US research can be submitted, but responses in those areas are more limited. The resource is built around American genealogical infrastructure, and questions outside that scope are more likely to be redirected to specialized resources.

What to include in your message

A well-constructed inquiry gets a useful response. A vague one gets a clarifying question back, which just adds a round-trip to the process.

For research questions, the most useful messages include:

1. The specific problem — not "I can't find my great-grandmother" but "Maria Kowalski, born approximately 1884 in Galicia, appears in the 1910 US Census in Chicago (Ward 17) but cannot be located in naturalization records or the 1920 Census."
2. What has already been searched — including which databases, which record collections, and what results (including null results) were found. This prevents the response from covering ground already covered.
3. The time period and geography — records behave differently by decade and by jurisdiction; a question about Virginia death records needs to specify whether it's 1880 or 1930, since Virginia didn't mandate statewide death registration until 1912.
4. Any contradictions already identified — if a primary source conflicts with a secondary source, describing that conflict precisely is more useful than summarizing it.

For content corrections or factual disputes, include the specific page URL, the passage in question, and the source that contradicts it. The editorial team takes corrections seriously — genealogical accuracy isn't a courtesy, it's the point — and a well-sourced correction will be reviewed and applied.

Messages that consist entirely of a surname and a question mark, while understandable in their frustration, don't give enough to work with.