A Single Standard for Everyone

As the power and popularity of genealogy continues to grow, the importance of data - quality data - in this field is becoming a subject of greater focus and attention.

Social media and the Internet have changed the way we work, and it has added a new and compelling dimension to the preservation of family histories. The hierarchical structure through which data has historically been disseminated from expert to novice has been leveled. The informal virtual conversations happening world-wide, together with the crowd-sourced models of data accumulation, have introduced a new dialect to the conversation of genealogy. Moreover, the absence of a universal open standard, free from abiguity, to which all parties can calibrate will serve the purpose of consolidating the agenda for the future of genealogy and family history research.

In response to this sea change, the International OpenGen Alliance was formed to bring together the most agile and active minds in the industry in service of creating a universal standard through which the full conversation of family histories could be shared and preserved.

The success of the world's genealogical societies and websites has illuminated the importance of a single standard. The public is now fully engaged in the discourse of family history. The time is now to measure the means through which this rich data discourse finds its place in each family history.

In order to succeed in the enduring preservation of these family histories, we must encourage dialogue, gain consensus on the standards of genealogical data exchange, and openly embrace the change and opportunity that new technology has afforded our field of study.

We invite your voice in this process, and we encourage your ongoing participation and feedback as we chart a course to a new and contemporary standard of information sharing.