Contact

Reaching the editorial and research team behind this reference covers questions about lineage society documentation, membership processes, genealogical record interpretation, and the published content across this site. This page explains how to structure an inquiry for the fastest and most complete response, what to expect in terms of turnaround, and what alternative resources exist for specialized questions.

What to include in your message

The quality of a response depends directly on the specificity of the inquiry. Vague submissions produce vague answers; well-structured messages receive substantive replies.

A useful inquiry includes the following elements:

Subject category — Identify whether the question concerns membership eligibility, documentation requirements, a specific society (such as the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution or the Mayflower Society), genealogical record sourcing, or site content correction.
Ancestral time period — State the approximate era of the lineage in question: colonial (pre-1776), Revolutionary War (1775–1783), Civil War (1861–1865), or post-1865. Different societies require different documentary chains, and the time period determines which record systems apply.
Record types already consulted — Note whether vital records, census schedules, military service files, or DNA test results have already been reviewed. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds the primary federal repository for genealogical records, and referencing what has already been searched avoids redundant guidance.
Specific question or gap — State the precise obstacle: a missing link in a documentary chain, a conflict between two sources, an application rejection, or a terminology question.
Society or chapter involved — If the question concerns a specific organization's process, name it. National-level procedures differ from chapter-level ones, and the distinction between national and local chapters affects who holds authority over membership decisions.

Messages that omit the ancestral time period or the specific society involved typically require at least one follow-up exchange before substantive guidance is possible, adding 5 to 10 business days to resolution time.

Response expectations

Editorial responses address questions about published content, factual corrections, sourcing inquiries, and general guidance on navigating lineage society processes as documented on this site. Two categories of inquiry fall outside this scope:

Editorial scope — Content on this site is reference-grade and draws on named public sources including NARA, the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), and the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen). Requests for updates or corrections to factual claims are welcomed and reviewed against primary source documentation.

Outside editorial scope — Performing original genealogical research, verifying specific ancestral lines, or providing legal interpretations of membership decisions are not functions of this editorial office. Those tasks require a credentialed professional. The BCG awards the Certified Genealogist (CG) credential, while ICAPGen awards the Accredited Genealogist (AG) credential; these two designations are not interchangeable and serve different research contexts, as detailed on the accredited genealogists for lineage applications page.

Standard response time for editorial inquiries is 7 to 14 business days. Complex content correction requests that require source verification may take up to 21 business days.

Additional contact options

For questions that fall outside editorial scope, the following named public resources address specific inquiry types:

NARA Genealogy Research — archives.gov/research/genealogy — Federal records including military service files, pension records, census schedules, and immigration manifests.
BCG (Board for Certification of Genealogists) — bcgcertification.org — Locating credentialed genealogists and understanding proof standards.
ICAPGen — icapgen.org — Accredited genealogists organized by geographic region and record-type specialty.
Society-specific registrars — Each major society maintains a national registrar responsible for membership applications. The lineage society application process page lists the functional contacts for 8 of the largest U.S. hereditary organizations.
State vital records offices — The issuing authority for birth, death, and marriage certificates varies by state. NARA's State and Territorial Archives page lists each state's holding institution.

For questions about DNA testing and lineage society eligibility, consulting a genetic genealogist credentialed through BCG or ICAPGen is the appropriate pathway, as DNA evidence is assessed differently across societies and cannot substitute for documentary proof in most current membership frameworks.

How to reach this office

Use the contact form below to submit an inquiry. No account creation is required. Fields marked as required are: subject category, message body, and a reply address.

Messages are reviewed by the editorial staff and routed based on subject category. Inquiries tagged as content corrections receive priority review against the sourcing standards documented throughout this site. Inquiries tagged as general lineage questions are responded to in the order received.

Physical mail addressed to the editorial office is not monitored on a regular basis and is not the appropriate channel for time-sensitive questions. For urgent matters related to application deadlines at specific societies, contact the relevant society's national office directly — society contact directories are maintained by organizations such as the Hereditary Society Community, which lists contact information for more than 100 U.S. hereditary and patriotic organizations.

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