"How do I organize my genealogy?" is a question every family historian asks. The question is often asked when an important paper is "lost" in the heaps and piles that seem to accumulate. This kind of loss provides strong motivation to do something about the unorganized confusion.

The materials in the heaps and piles can usually be divided into two categories:
(1) notes and
(2) documents.

Both are important to our family history.

The notes show what we have done in our attempts to find records. Sometimes they are on the backs on envelopes. Sometimes they are on regular notebook paper. It really doesn't matter what they are on, just as long as we organize them.

I recommend that people use a research log to keep track of books and other documents they've examined. The research log is a memory aid, for no one can possibly recall everything they've read. Research logs are important, for they provide a place to list books, films, courthouse records, cemetery records, and even the Internet sites that we have visited.

Free research log and family group sheets are available on the Internet at Ancestry.com.

Documents include vital records, cemetery records, censuses, probate files, etc. They show the story of our ancestors. Many people place these papers in acid free sheet protectors.

Notes and research logs and documents can be placed in file folders or in 3-ring binders with dividers. I've used both. For the smaller families, I like to use binders. For larger families, I use file folders and a file drawer. In both cases, I usually have a section or file for each person or family and place the materials in chronological order.

A family group sheet should be placed at the beginning of each family file. This helps you visualize the family, and it is a handy place to jot down names, dates, and places. You can print out the group sheets from your genealogy program. Family group sheets (FGS) come in two styles, naked and clothed. A naked FGS is one without source citations. A clothed one has source citations. Several of the better genealogy programs allow you to include source citations with your print-outs.

If you are interested in other helpful articles, go to my Columns page.

© 2000–2009

Connie Lenzen, CG^SM

CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certified genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.