Genealogy - Getting Organized

1. Genealogy Research
Getting & Staying
Organized
Presented by
Michelle Christie
mtchristie65@gmail.com

2. What you already have:
• Pedigree Charts
• Family Group Sheets
• Documentation – example: Your own birth & marriage records
• Photo’s

3. Why do you need a System?
• Genealogy research can accumulate massive amounts of paperwork
• Locating information in a timely manner
• To know what you have and you don’t have
• Keeping information accurate in your files
• Eliminate redundancy

4. What do you use?
• Binders
• File Folders
• Filing Cabinets
• Computers

5. Getting Started – Gather Information you
currently already have:
• Birth Certificates
• Death Certificates
• Marriage Licenses
• Baptism / Christening Records
• Social Security Applications
• Newspaper Articles / Obituaries
• Cemetery Records / Memorial
Cards
• Family Bibles
• Census Records
• Military Records
• Land Deeds
• Tax Records
• Wills / Estate Records
• Ship Passenger List
• Chancery / Custody Records
• Photos

6. Make a Choice – What works for you?
• How do you want to group your information?
• Decided what method of tracking and storing the information works
best for you.
• Paper vs. Digital or a combination of BOTH

7. Researching and your filing system
working together
• Citing / sourcing your information
• Abbreviating / stay consistent
• Note taking
• Printing / Making Copies
• Corresponding information – emails / letters
• Recording already referenced material (avoiding duplicating efforts)