Organizing Your Research

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Organizing Your Research Files

• To be successful in your genealogy research, you
  must be able to plan each research step and
  organize the information you find there.
• It does not take a new genealogist very long to
  discover that the ancestral paper trail quickly
  becomes a mountain.

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How Organized are you now?

• Do you know exactly what information you have for
  each ancestor?
• Do you have a complete list of information you
  are missing for each ancestor?
• Do you know exactly what resources youve
  checked, and what results you found?
• Do you know every book youve ever searched?
• Do you remember whom youve contacted and what
  response you received?
• Can you put your hands on any piece of
  information in your files in 10 seconds or less?

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Why Organize your Records?

• Find your records quickly
• To provide your research to others who can
  benefit from your work. If your records are not
  organized then they run the risk of being thrown
  away
• Prevent duplicating your own research
• Note Use Acid-free paper for long term storage.

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Requirements for Success

• Keep it Simple (KISS formula)
• Make it easy to you and others
• Be consistent
• Realize that there is NO one perfect method.
  What you do today could change at a later date.

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Types of Records you can File

• Pedigree chart
• Family Group chart
• Research log
• Maps
• Certificates
• Copies of records found
• Histories
• Photos
• Check off list
• Time lines

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Steps to Start

• Gather all records you have to date
• Sort them by surnames
• Separate records by family groups within each
  surname.
• Transfer information from each record to family
  group records, creating notes and documentation.
• Use Acid-free folders and papers for longer
  storage

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Note Keeping and Logs

• Can reduce duplication in your searches
• Help you to stay focused
• Allow you to pick up where you left off even
  years before!
• HINT Could someone else find that record based
  on your source information?
• Make sure you use correct bibliography practices.
  Include Author, title, publication information,
  years covered in record, volume, page numbers,
  film numbers and web addresses.

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• Keep a photo copy of what you find
• Record ALL results, even if you find nothing on
  your log
• Label all photocopies and documents on the front
  face of the document, so it cross-references with
  your research logs
• Add all new facts and documentation to your
  family group records

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Organizing your Files

• Keep your files in one central location
• Make a folder for each couple (family groups)
• Order them alphabetically by surname
• If a family resided in different counties or
  states, make a separate folder for each locality
• You could color code your files using 4 colors.
  One for each of your grandparents.
• Remember There is NO right way to organize your
  files. Just remember that who ever looks at your
  files, they need to be able to find what they are
  looking for.

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Web Sites to Check for Ideas to Organizing Your
Data

• www.genealogy.com/27_smith_print.html
• www.familysearch.org Go to the Search Tab,
  Research helps, Sorted by Title, and then the
  Os and look for Organizing
• www.genealogy.com/202/lesson15/course15_04.html
• www.genealogy.com/201/lesson14/course14_01.html
• http//fileyourpapers.com/paf/paf1.html

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Samples of what you could put in your files
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