The Genealogy & Family History Social Network
Organization/Research Tips
Do you have organization/research tips you would like to share with other genealogists? Do you have a research question?
My research tip is to always research from the known to the unknown. Many beginning genealogists randomly begin researching their family tree. I know I did. If you start with yourself and then work your up through the family tree moving to your parents and their siblings to their parents and their parents siblings, etc., and take each individual working from the last known event the genealogist will be more organized and have an easier time researching and finding already researched material.
My research tip is to always research from the known to the unknown. Many beginning genealogists randomly begin researching their family tree. I know I did. If you start with yourself and then work your up through the family tree moving to your parents and their siblings to their parents and their parents siblings, etc., and take each individual working from the last known event the genealogist will be more organized and have an easier time researching and finding already researched material.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Donna Atkinson on
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I fully agree to the backing up. I fully backup my database and book once a month and store it in the bank! At least I can get that much uploaded again if I crash. I also backup pictures and a disc as I go for home use. Can't backup enough.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mayfield on
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I currently scan every hard copy i obtain such as birth cert., etc. and group them by record type. Birth, death, wills, deeds, etc. and not by surname as one document often is a source for more then one surname. Each record i file by a code such as OBIT_0001 or DEATH_0038, etc and i write the code on each hard copy and file them in binders that correspond to the folders on my computer such as a birth, death, etc. I also keep the same file structure on my computer maintaing the same naming and storing convention. So if i want to look at the hard copy, its got the same name and location as the digital version on my computer. Then i have a master excel file which i have a field for last name, first, middle, birth date, Person ID, then a column for each of the major record types such as birth rec., obit, death rec., etc. In these columns i put the corresponding file name such as DEATH_0001. I use this file to quickly be able to find any document and also can easily be able to determine what records i have and what ones i am missing. Using this system, i dont have to keep a million file folders. I get a new obit. and it just gets filed into the obit binder and named the next number up such as OBIT_0103 and record the file name in the master list. This comes in handy if for example a marriage lic. is a source for the bride and groom. I don't need to file it in two separate places folders for the two people, i just put the same file name in each persons "marriage" field in the master excel list. I don't sort anything by surname, or have to make duplicates of an obit if it is a source for more then one person. I read about this system and so far it has worked really well. Makes maintaining files very easy with no duplication or needing to remember relationships between people in order to track down records or being complicated when someone gets married. Also makes linking sources in programs really easy. You can link say one Obit named OBIT_0098 to 10 different people and only need one copy in your OBIT folder. But like they say, it all depends on how many files you have and what you are comfortable with. Every one does things differently. Its just good to find any system and use it then to use no system at all.
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