Seattle Genealogical Society Tip of the Week Organize Your Genealogy Research Mess

by Charles Hansen

TIP OF THE WEEK –
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION, AGAIN
Is your New Year’s resolution this year the same as it was last year, organize this genealogy research mess, it’s out of control. Here’s a few simple tips from the Family Curator: 

  • KISS – Keep it simple, silly! Use an easy to setup and easy to maintain system.
  • Sheet Control – use a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet for all notes and print outs
  • Stay Single – One surname, one locality per sheet for easy filing
  • Date Yourself – Always write the current date on your research notes
  • One File at a Time – Work through those paper piles steadily; the mess didn’t happen in a day.