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 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.

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.

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 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

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.

 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

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.

Web Sites to Check for Ideas to Organizing Your Data   Go to the Search Tab, Research helps, Sorted by Title, and then the “O’s” and look for Organizing  tml tml  tml tml 

Samples of what you could put in your files