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.

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 you’ve checked, and what results you found?

Do you know every book you’ve ever searched?Do you remember whom you’ve contacted and what

response you received?Can you put your hands on any piece of information in

your files in 10 seconds or less?

Why Organize your Records?

Find your records quicklyTo 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.

Requirements for Success

Keep it Simple (KISS formula)Make it easy to you and othersBe consistentRealize that there is NO one perfect

method. What you do today could change at a later date.

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

Steps to Start

Gather all records you have to dateSort 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

Note Keeping and Logs

Can reduce duplication in your searchesHelp you to stay focusedAllow 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.

Keep a photo copy of what you findRecord ALL results, even if you find

nothing on your logLabel 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

Organizing your FilesKeep your files in one central locationMake a folder for each couple (family groups)Order them alphabetically by surnameIf a family resided in different counties or states,

make a separate folder for each localityYou 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.

Web Sites to Check for Ideas to Organizing Your Data

www.genealogy.com/27_smith_print.htmlwww.familysearch.org Go to the Search Tab,

Research helps, Sorted by Title, and then the “O’s” 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

Samples of what you could put in your files