The final product of a lineage society engagement has actually shifted in recent years. When I started work (c. 2011), many professionals who were employed to assist with a lineage application would create a research report as their product. The clients were expected to take the data from that report and shift it to the application. Other professionals would complete both an application and a report, expecting the client to take the application to the society themselves. Now, the product of a lineage society application project is most often the application.
Why does this matter?
This shift in product has several benefits. First, it saves time and money. Professionals were essentially creating an “extra” product (a research report) to meet the field’s perceived standards, whether or not that product was actually needed. Second, it improves the quality of the output in the specific context. The society (with rare exceptions) isn’t reading the research report. They’re reading the application. They want to ensure the formatting matches their specific needs and that the line has been reviewed to their standards. If the professional is creating the application packet themselves, they can address potential issues in advance.
What are potential concerns for me as the client?
If the only product is the application, it can be harder to change formats for the research down the road. Societies tend to have highly specific application guidelines that may include red underlining information on records, preserving copies, and more. At minimum, be sure your genealogist saves an “blank” (no red lining) duplicate of all documentation. That way, if you decide to do another application down the road, or if you want to do something else with the research, you won’t have to start over.