1. Keep it simple. The number one rule.
2. Think about what you need to
organize. Set up a system and write it
down. Do what works for you. We all think differently and our families are
different. There are no perfect answers.
3. I file the media that comes to
me. Digital is filed on the computer and
paper in notebooks. So far I am not
making any attempt to scan everything or print everything.
4. I use the same major categories for
notebooks, computer files and my email folders.
5. My major categories are:
a. Ancestors
(everything that is related to people in my tree)
b. DNA (I keep
everything about DNA separate from Ancestor records)
c. Toolbox (a
name coined by Thomas MacEntee to cover everything about how to do genealogy)
d. DNA Toolbox
6. Paper-based Ancestor information is
commonly filed in notebooks or color-coded hanging folders. One method is by surname then record type. Or by type of document and then surname which
keeps all death certificates together, and so on. I do everything by surname.
7. Adopt a naming scheme for your
computer folders and files.
a. For Ancestor folders I use Ahnentafel
numbers. These are the numbers for each
person on your pedigree chart.
b. For my folders I use
Ahnentafel-number mans-last-name womans-last-name. Ex: 002 Hearn Danzer.
c. For files I use last-name first-name
birth-year document-name date. Ex: HEARN Alexander b1919 letter from dad
2005_05_25. Use underscores instead of
spaces or periods.
d. Make the file names independent of
the folder so you can move them. That
is, just because a file is in the Smith folder, don’t leave Smith out of the
file name.
8. My goal is to move everything related
to Ancestors to my desktop software RootsMagic, including documents, stories,
photos, to do lists, notes, correspondence, timelines, etc.
9. One drawback for notebooks is that
you cannot use regular dividers. The special size archival dividers are way too
expensive. I get around this by putting
an index page in the front of my notebooks if needed.
10. Use archival safe, acid free
supplies. This includes sheet
protectors, folders, photo boxes and artifact boxes. Sheet protectors are available at Costco, not
at Office Depot. Others would need to be
ordered online as far as I know.
11. Common instructions for women are to
file them with their father until they are married and then with their
spouse. I would file them independently
when they become a head of household.
12. Keep a correspondence log. Lots of time is wasted if you are contacted
and spend time researching a relationship you have already done before. Also people get irritated when you contact
them a second time because you didn’t keep track.
13. Learn to use metadata to add authors,
tags and comments to images.
14. Make a backup plan. Thomas MacEntee promotes a 3-2-1 backup
method, using3 backups, 2 different types of media (external drive, flash
drive, cloud) and one offsite location. Remember
if your PC is wiped out by natural disaster, it is likely your external drive
is gone too. Also remember that a
personal online family tree at Ancestry.com or MyHeritage is also a cloud
location.
15. Use a research log. State your objective or question. List possible sources. Record your results. It is important to know where you didn’t find
what you were looking for. Also keep a list of all alternate spellings
handy. The research log can be online or
on paper. There are paper forms and
online spreadsheets to use. This will
help you stay focused.
16. Develop habits and routines. Keep a list of things to do at another
time. If you find something interesting,
don’t get distracted. Write it down for
another time.
17. Whatever else you do, keep a password
list. I can’t say this often enough.
18. Your kids aren’t going to want notebooks
or a filing cabinet of files. They will
want everything electronic and easily accessible. If you are making keepsake gifts for your
family, consider whether they can be updated as you find more and more
information.
Resources
There are many
blogs about organizing genealogy so you can google exactly what you are looking
for. Here are two
resources that are general in nature:
Lisa Lisson
has written a number of organizing articles.
Start with this overview: http://lisalisson.com/2018/01/02/organize-genealogy-research/
At
the bottom of her first article there are links to “genealogy in 20 minutes a
day”, how to create a genealogy research plan, using a timeline, photo
organization and other topics.
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Here’s a free 14-page collection of organizing articles you can download from Family Tree Magazine: https://www.familytreemagazine.com/freebie/family-tree-tips-23-secrets-organize-genealogy/
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And here is a link that tells you how to add metadata to
an image, that is comments and tags and more.
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