REASONS...why you should use a Research Log when doing Genealogy

Start with a Pedigree Sheet and a Research Log.

(Have you ever said, "I'm sure I've run across this document before.  Let's see where did I put that?  this pile?  Maybe this one over here??  It can be time consuming and confusing to say the least!

Start with what you know:

right click and save image as researchlog.jpg - then go back and print it out on 8 1/2 x 11 - landscape

http://www.sweenyfiles.com/2011/12/free-pedigree-chart-4-generation.html

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Research_Activity_Log_(National_Institute)

Go here for vital information:

Links to   Principles of Family History Research articles Introduction Using This Article · New to Genealogy? critical steps! · Your Genealogical Quest · The Research Process Step 1. Identify What You Know Use Appropriate Forms  · Recall Information · Gather Family Information · Gather Low-Hanging-Fruit Sources · Record Useful Information · Organize Your Records Step 2. Decide What You Want to Learn Identify Candidate Families for Further Research · One Family at a Time · One Research Objective at a Time · Select the Easiest Research Objective · Prepare a Research Log Step 3. Select Records to Search Creation of Records · Identify a Category of Sources · Choose a Record Type · Select Specific Records · Describe the Records on a Research Log Step 4. Obtain and Search the Records Obtain the Records · View the Records · Search the Records ·Record the Results Step 5. Use the Information Evaluate the Evidence · Transfer the Information · Organize the New Records · Share the Information · Restart the Research Cycle · For LDS Church Members · Further Reading

How to make an effective Research Log:

Or Start with an Excel Sheet

Column 1 Father
Column 2 date Born
Column 3 Mother
Column 4 Date born
Column 5 Date Married - Place
Column 6 Mother's age at first child
Column 7 First child name
column 8  year born
Column 9  2nd child name
column 10 year born
column 11 3rd child name
column 12 year born
column 13 4th child name
column 14 year born

add columns as needed

Column 20 - Mother died - age:
Column 21 - note any children born "after Mother's death"
column 22 - look for marriage of husband to 2nd wife
column 23 - 2nd wife, year of birth
column 24 -  1st child name - born - HIGHLIGHT IF COLUMN 24 COINCIDES WITH COLUMN 9, 11, 13
Column 25 - NOTE - TRANSFER ANY CHILDREN OF THE WRONG MOTHER TO THE RIGHT ONE.

Sometimes Census data will list one mother and 17 children....many after her death - this is a way to get control of data before it runs away with you.


Also, have you ever searched some records and said, "Haven't I seen this family before?"  Make sure you have a column for your y
ear of Census and location so you can handle multiple data and know the answers quickly.


STAY AWAY FROM THE TEMPTATION OF JUST IMPORTING DATA FROM FAMILY TREES 

FIRST OF ALL, 

Be very careful not to click on family trees without first corroborating the data.  It is very tempting to make one click and get 10 generations, but unless you have personally verified the sources and attached them to your tree, you should only use them as a point of reference.

Many people just click and do not see things like,
1) the child was born before the mother
2) the mother gave birth at 7
3)  the location just seems like an impossibility, CHECK i.e., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_divided_cities
4) the father became a father before his father was born.
5)  clicking family tree imports can put you in an eternal incest loop.  If you are off by one generation and import the same data, cousins will be married, their parents are brothers and sisters, the parents are also the parents parents - it just gets crazier from there.  just delete or disjoin the people before it gets crazy and do your due diligence to check each link for accuracy.



GREAT COUNTY INFORMATION

data from adjacent counties -
http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/county_adjacency.txt

Sometimes it was closer to file documents at the nearest county seat rather than the one in your county, if you didn't have a horse or ability to travel far.

5) Marriages - shotgun weddings - If papa didn't give his permission, they would hop the county line and go somewhere where the female could wed at a younger age without handwritten documentation.

Great article about Counties with changing boundaries - do you search in this one or that one?  Depending on the year, there may be different county lines and your person may not be in the county you think of.

Good luck and send me your messages - maybe I can help you find a long lost cousin!