For many people, researching Family History means tracing members of a family, showing the relationships among them, recording their family stories, collecting their treasured photos and documents, and sharing all that with other family members.
Genealogy, on the other hand, is often considered to be a more structured activity that incorporates standard ways of recording information, rigorous methods for assessing evidence, an academic component providing formal learning, and professional accreditation. Genealogists attend conferences; publish books and articles; design and maintain family history websites. Some also contribute to other disciplines such as medicine, genetics and history.