Family Tree Documentation - Good Habits To Develop
Jane Tilly
like many amateur family historians, I have bits and pieces of
information scattered around my spare room. Regularly, I realize that
it's time to get back to the basics and get properly organized. You
might ask: "But where should I start?"; "What is the best method of
filing this important information so I can easily find it later?"; "I
have lots of information, but I can't seem to find it when I need
it!"; or "What should I do?" In this article I will try to address
some of these issues and help you get more organized.
When I research my family tree, I follow a few simple rules that help
me be as productive as possible. I'd like to say that I have always
followed these simple rules. But unfortunately, I had to learn most of
these things the hard way. So don't be discouraged if you have gotten
behind and feel that you have some catching up to do. Use these
suggestions as a guide. But take the time to develop your own system.
Use the things that work and modify the things that don't. Here are a
few simple tips that you can implement quickly and with relatively
little expense:
Use standard size paper - preferably 3 holed loose leaf sheets -- they
can easily be shuffled and re-sequenced or if necessary, moved to
another folder easily;
Use only one side of the paper to record notes and information (it's
easier to photocopy);
Make sure each page is labeled with the surname, location and dates
that each note was taken;
Use a separate binder for each main family group (split them into
subgroups when they grow too big);
Use acid free plastic sleeves to store photocopies, newspaper articles
etc.; and
Store any items that won't fit in the binder in legal size folders --
they're easy to sort and file. Recording your sources is an absolute
must. You will need this information sometime in the future. It is all
too common to document a date or place and months later discover
another document that shows an entirely different date or place. By
having your sources clearly marked, you can have a better clue as to
which fact might be more correct. Remember, if something doesn't seem
to fit properly, or just doesn't seem right, make a detailed note of
the issue and why you are skeptical. Later you may find another
related fact, that together with your original note, will help you
unscramble the facts and help find the truth.
Genealogy is a great hobby that can be very rewarding. However, it is
just as important to properly document and store your findings as it
was to make the find in the first place. Keeping track of all the
original information, photographs, charts, newspaper clippings and the
original source citations and storing them properly will save a lot of
time and wasted effort in the long run. That work, together with all
of the ancestors and stories that you uncover will help to preserve
your heritage for future generations.
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