Thanks for a great instructional video. I have been using your method of research notes since I watched your first video on that a number of months ago. I don,t have good research plans and logs set up in Excel. I will get on that.
100-year rule is very important regarding websites. I learned the hard way when I was referencing a personal family history page and then the website went down and I came to learn that the owner of the website passed away. So all that information is gone. I was lucky enough to find a PDF of one of the more important documents from the website, but that is all.
Hi Connie - this was terrific. Just to let you know, for the many of us that have come over from the Dark Side to Apple :-) you can do pretty much the same things - perhaps even easier - as you describe for MS Word in Apple's "Pages" program. Same thing for MS Excel and Apple's "Numbers" program. Your videos are very helpful
Fantastic! I’ve started and stopped research notes, etc. for years without any permanency. Your methods cover EVERYTHING I’ve tried and failed to do. This makes sense to me. I’m thrilled that you take the time to share your knowledge. Bless you. And please keep the videos coming. You’re the best.
This was a great video! I love your simple easy approach to the process of keeping logs/notes/files. This really matches well with what I have tried to start, and gives me a clear direction in which to finally set up my files and notes. THANK YOU! You have the best RUclips channel for genealogy research help.
This is very helpful. I appreciate the way you explain things so clearly. Thank you so much for putting the hard work into organizing and creating these videos.
I keep watching all your videos on research notes/research plans/research logs, I am hoping it will stick and keep me motivated to follow through with these tools as I research. I like how you set up your file folders and have set mine up in the same fashion. But I am curious when you have a surname that has different spelling variations, do you make a separate surname folder for each spelling or do you put them all in one surname folder. Example: I have Brumbelows in my line. The many different spellings I have come across have been Brumbelow, Brumblow, Brumbalow, Brumbalough, etc. etc. For me I would put them all in one, but as you mentioned in one video, I would like to make it easy for someone else to follow the trail after I am gone. Thanks for all the informative videos! They have been a tremendous help!
Connie, your content is so valuable. I think your channel is really underrated. You have inspired me to pick up my research again and tackle my hard copy folders which exploded, they were so full. I am going through all of my hard copies of documents one by one and will write research notes for each person so that I have it in hard copy too.
Hi Connie, I am trying your system of SURNAME file folders. However, I am totally confused what to do with the Census reports. My report titles are in the name of the Head of the Household. I really don't want to put the same census in everyone's folder who is listed in the family for a particular census. How do you suggest I do this? I did put in Family Group folders, but I am not sure that is how I want to do these. By the way, I love your videos and learn so much from you. Thanks. I have been doing genealogy for around 35 years and now I am seeing how much "clean-up" work I might need to do. Mary Lou
Hi Lou. Yes I put documents and photos with multiple people in the “SURNAME family group” folder and make reference to it in key ancestors research notes. As a standard practice, when I return to do research for that family, I make sure to check the family group folder to refresh my memory of what is there (keeping my research question in mind) as I look to seek records to answer the research question I’m working on. I hope that answered your question. Thanks for the compliments. I too am still cleaning up lines from decades ago. 😉
@@GenealogyTV Thanks. That is certainly a start. This is quite a challenge. Although, I did get a template for the research notes that I am happy with at this time. Just for fun, I chose my parents, children and grandchildren and put a "fun" icon on the folders instead of the yellow file folder appearance.
Thanks for this info! When I first started I can't tell you how many rabbit holes I went down and the couldn't remember how I got in and out of them. I'm still looking for my biological father. I don't know if I would say I've "hit a brick wall" or that the light just hasn't clicked on yet. I'm sure I have enough close cousins to determine who he is. I'll keep watching your video's for more help. Thanks again for all the wonderful help you willingly give. Betty
Watch these two episodes about grouping DNA matches on Ancestry (assuming you are on Ancestry). ruclips.net/video/ErWHYCLjjxM/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/YOGarVcxLRQ/видео.html. They will help you narrow down your results if you have not done any grouping yet.
Thanks so much for all the work that you do and how you have helped me more than any of the other sources out there. And I think I might have cracked the brick wall a little will talk to you soon about it thank you again
Hi Connie! This video has been SO very helpful! i tend to accumulate (and subsequently avidly devour in a mental fashion) information in large chunks and not really keep notes or files. This has given me an easy way to actually keep my research straight. I do have one question with your system though. I have one surname that runs on two separate family lines. what would you suggest on how to separate those lines in the filing system?
One Research Notes document per ancestor.... or sometimes a family group (father, mother and kids). File in Surname folders, then folders of each individual ancestor within the Surname folder. File all documents in the individual surname folder. I have a full video called "Good Filing Habits from the Start" that explains most of this. ruclips.net/video/7whvacUyLHM/видео.html
Thank you Connie! I have been doing genealogy for 24 years and have accumulated a lot of papers that need to be sorted and I really love your system. Can I ask, what are your thoughts on using a system such as Family Tree Maker? I love it but find that I want my research notes to be more clear cut like yours. Do you keep a family tree on software as well as the Research Notes? And do you keep research notes for extended family such as your ancestors' siblings, children, nephews/nieces etc or do you just keep their information in a software program like Family Tree Maker?
Well this almost sounds like another video. Let me answer your questions one at a time. I do keep Family Tree Maker as a tool that I think from time to time with ancestry.com. Are use FTM as a tool but not necessarily my primary tree. I use ancestry.com is my primary, but of course because it syncs with FTM it mirrors what’s on ancestry. This also works as a back up in case, heaven for bid something should happen to ancestry.com. Regarding your question about research notes. I keep research notes on everyone I’m researching in the same fashion that I demonstrated in the video. Regarding extended family distant cousins etc., no I do not unless I’m actively researching them. I could not possibly keep track of all of that. So the long and the short of it is, if I’m actively researching them I start creating research notes. For people I just barely do any research on, my research notes might be very short. But next time I go back to that person I will keep building on those same research notes. Overtime the research notes will grow. Especially if you keep one set of research notes per person. Of course you want to keep a constant back up somewhere. For me I have a back up system that automatically backs up so I don’t ever have to think about it. I think I answered all your questions.
@@GenealogyTV In Family Tree Maker, each person has a notes area, and I keep my notes in there, so they back sync with Ancestry. While they are not available to the public on Ancestry, I can see them in either place. If I wanted my notes to show on Ancestry, I could copy them into the Ancestry Comment on that person and then the public could see.
I'm new to your channel and find it very useful. I agree with everything you are saying, especially about Ancestry, which I also love. I know this is an older video but I still wanted to say it's appreciated! You're never too old in genealogy to learn new tricks, lol! Do you cite other's research in your own research? By that I mean, if I were to receive your family research and incorporate it into my own, would it not be right to cite you as a source? I recently butted heads with someone about this and was told I just "wanted recognition", which wasn't the case. It seems that information is now so much easier to find than when I started a long time ago and with that it seems people just copy and paste and move on. No citing, no looking at information to see if it is even accurate. I was just wondering your opinion on this. I received a lot of help in the early days of my research and wouldn't think of not giving those people credit. I wanted to come back to add, I love your way of doing the notes in Word. You're right, adding footnotes isn't that hard. My thing is organizing into a narrative. But that's for another day, lol. Again, BIG THANKS!!
Any tips on where to stop? Not in relation to direct lineage but when dealing with expanding horizontally? For example, working on my grandmother's sister I find her husband, children, etc. Then when entering them I come across the parents of the husband or spouses of the children. Then the children's spouses parents, siblings, etc pop up and their spouses and in-laws, and so on. At what point do I say enough? Since it's there and readily available I keep feeling obligated to hoard it and save it all. But then I'm creating folders and research notes pages for people that I'm not actively researching. But in the back of my mind I keep thinking down the road I might be looking for a FAN club info and it might be in this extended family members documents. Any advice? And thank you for all of your videos! I've watched them all, some multiple times! So helpful!
Addicted 2SPN this is a great question. May I use it in a video? The short answer is... sit down with a cup of your favorite beverage away from the computer... and think about one thing you want to know the most about your family history. What do you want to know? Write it down. That's your answer. Focus on that one thing, research just what you need to satisfy your research question. You may have to research the FAN Club surrounding that person/clan to answer the question. Once that is done, repeat the process with a new question. Life is short, you don't have to build the tree for all of humanity. :) This is your hobby... do what makes you happy. I hope that helps.
@@GenealogyTV Thanks Connie!! Absolutely!! A video upload would be awesome. I'm in the process of organizing my tree. Saving records, facts etc. from Ancestry and Family Search. I just want to be organized. I have lots of documents, photos, etc. in my possession that aren't online so I want to make everything neat and structured before I start scanning, updating and resuming active research. But I keep falling down the rabbit hole. Headstone on Find A Grave? Cool! Oh, wow, there's his extended family, obituary, their headstones, etc. Add, add, add, LOL. Then when adding back in Ancestry I find I'm adding photos and dates for the great grandfather of the spouse of of my 1st cousin 1x removed :D Thanks for the reply!!
@@addicted2spn789 Going "too far" can produce some very interesting connections. I found a distant cousin married into the Hatfields & McCoys at the "right" time. Another distant relation married the poet Lord Byron. More closely related was the painter Benjamin West. An ancestor signed a document also signed by George Washington. Some of those extended entries (not necessarily family) can prove very interesting in deed.
Connie, great video. How do you handle documents the aren't really related on one date. For instance, I have an employee file for an ancestor. Yes, there is a start date but the file contains information about injuries received on the job that doesn't have a date and notes about his performance that doesn't relate to a date. Plus dated promotions that span years. Would you record it all under the start date, or add the promotions under the various dates, then what would you do with the undated information?
Yes exactly. I would put the first reference with the start date (in chronological order of the start date) but also show the span of years. For example 1920-1940 Railroad Employment... Then if there is anything in those records that was important enough to note in other years... I would add a short paragraph about that (again in the chronology). It is really up to you... but that is my method. Just make sure that future generations can understand what you're writing. So in later references to this employment, you might also reference (Railroad employee 1920-1940) within the secondary paragraphs. As you continue to research... these notes can get long. You know us genealogist often just zoom our eyes to the year we're actively researching and may not read all the way back to when the employee started (in his Research Notes). Love your handle BTW Magic Giggles. Too cute.
About the file folder names, if you put the date before the item name (1910 Birth Certificate instead of Birth Certificate 1910), the file names will stay in chronological order. The photos especially can get out of order. If there's a lot of them, it could make it difficult to find the one from 1950 amongst the copies of other documents. I guess this would depend on what order is more important to the researcher.
I can't find info I typed up 30 years ago. It was on MS word, but, what computer was it on, did I save it on a floppy disk that I cannot now access? Now a lot of my documents are in Word on OneDrive. I'm still going to have to print it out and put it in a file, notebook or something in order for it to be available in 100 or 200 years. I do like the dictation, I've done that before and those are out on the web.
This might not receive an answer but I wanted to know other suggestions for finding a picture of my ancestor, actually biological grandfather I didn't know I had, my mom didn't know, until I started searching Ancestry for another reason. I am on Ancestry and there's none. My new first cousin only has pictures of when he was a child.
Thanks for a great instructional video. I have been using your method of research notes since I watched your first video on that a number of months ago. I don,t have good research plans and logs set up in Excel. I will get on that.
100-year rule is very important regarding websites. I learned the hard way when I was referencing a personal family history page and then the website went down and I came to learn that the owner of the website passed away. So all that information is gone. I was lucky enough to find a PDF of one of the more important documents from the website, but that is all.
Connie, thank you so so much for this video!! It was extremely helpful!
You are so helpful. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Connie - this was terrific. Just to let you know, for the many of us that have come over from the Dark Side to Apple :-) you can do pretty much the same things - perhaps even easier - as you describe for MS Word in Apple's "Pages" program. Same thing for MS Excel and Apple's "Numbers" program. Your videos are very helpful
You’re too funny. It’s kind of like the Chevy and ford debate. Thanks for the compliment. 🥴
Fantastic! I’ve started and stopped research notes, etc. for years without any permanency. Your methods cover EVERYTHING I’ve tried and failed to do. This makes sense to me. I’m thrilled that you take the time to share your knowledge. Bless you. And please keep the videos coming. You’re the best.
Super. Glad to help.
This was a great video! I love your simple easy approach to the process of keeping logs/notes/files. This really matches well with what I have tried to start, and gives me a clear direction in which to finally set up my files and notes. THANK YOU! You have the best RUclips channel for genealogy research help.
Ah gosh thanks. I try. 😀 Tell all your friends about GTV. 😂
SBA... I can't thank you enough for the donation. You made me day. I really appreciate it! :)
This is very helpful. I appreciate the way you explain things so clearly. Thank you so much for putting the hard work into organizing and creating these videos.
Thank you Tom... and thanks for being a Patron of GTV. I really appreciate it.
I keep watching all your videos on research notes/research plans/research logs, I am hoping it will stick and keep me motivated to follow through with these tools as I research. I like how you set up your file folders and have set mine up in the same fashion. But I am curious when you have a surname that has different spelling variations, do you make a separate surname folder for each spelling or do you put them all in one surname folder. Example: I have Brumbelows in my line. The many different spellings I have come across have been Brumbelow, Brumblow, Brumbalow, Brumbalough, etc. etc. For me I would put them all in one, but as you mentioned in one video, I would like to make it easy for someone else to follow the trail after I am gone. Thanks for all the informative videos! They have been a tremendous help!
Are use one folder for example Johnson-Jensen, epecially when they’re the same person that had various spellings.
Thanks April for supporting the channel.
Connie, your content is so valuable. I think your channel is really underrated. You have inspired me to pick up my research again and tackle my hard copy folders which exploded, they were so full.
I am going through all of my hard copies of documents one by one and will write research notes for each person so that I have it in hard copy too.
Fabulous Wendy. Thank you for the compliments. Enjoy the journey.
Hi Connie, I am trying your system of SURNAME file folders. However, I am totally confused what to do with the Census reports. My report titles are in the name of the Head of the Household. I really don't want to put the same census in everyone's folder who is listed in the family for a particular census. How do you suggest I do this? I did put in Family Group folders, but I am not sure that is how I want to do these. By the way, I love your videos and learn so much from you. Thanks. I have been doing genealogy for around 35 years and now I am seeing how much "clean-up" work I might need to do. Mary Lou
Hi Lou. Yes I put documents and photos with multiple people in the “SURNAME family group” folder and make reference to it in key ancestors research notes. As a standard practice, when I return to do research for that family, I make sure to check the family group folder to refresh my memory of what is there (keeping my research question in mind) as I look to seek records to answer the research question I’m working on. I hope that answered your question. Thanks for the compliments. I too am still cleaning up lines from decades ago. 😉
@@GenealogyTV Thanks. That is certainly a start. This is quite a challenge. Although, I did get a template for the research notes that I am happy with at this time. Just for fun, I chose my parents, children and grandchildren and put a "fun" icon on the folders instead of the yellow file folder appearance.
Yes, please do a video on source citations using Word.
Yeah. I think I’ll add this to the list.
Okay Louise Dawson... I did it. This Friday's video is all about how to put source citations in word... and create macros to do it fast and easy.
Thanks for this info! When I first started I can't tell you how many rabbit holes I went down and the couldn't remember how I got in and out of them. I'm still looking for my biological father. I don't know if I would say I've "hit a brick wall" or that the light just hasn't clicked on yet. I'm sure I have enough close cousins to determine who he is. I'll keep watching your video's for more help. Thanks again for all the wonderful help you willingly give. Betty
Watch these two episodes about grouping DNA matches on Ancestry (assuming you are on Ancestry). ruclips.net/video/ErWHYCLjjxM/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/YOGarVcxLRQ/видео.html. They will help you narrow down your results if you have not done any grouping yet.
Thanks so much for all the work that you do and how you have helped me more than any of the other sources out there. And I think I might have cracked the brick wall a little will talk to you soon about it thank you again
Excellent. Thank you.
Hi Connie! This video has been SO very helpful! i tend to accumulate (and subsequently avidly devour in a mental fashion) information in large chunks and not really keep notes or files. This has given me an easy way to actually keep my research straight. I do have one question with your system though. I have one surname that runs on two separate family lines. what would you suggest on how to separate those lines in the filing system?
One Research Notes document per ancestor.... or sometimes a family group (father, mother and kids). File in Surname folders, then folders of each individual ancestor within the Surname folder. File all documents in the individual surname folder. I have a full video called "Good Filing Habits from the Start" that explains most of this. ruclips.net/video/7whvacUyLHM/видео.html
@@GenealogyTV Thank you so much!!
Welcome
Thank you Connie! I have been doing genealogy for 24 years and have accumulated a lot of papers that need to be sorted and I really love your system. Can I ask, what are your thoughts on using a system such as Family Tree Maker? I love it but find that I want my research notes to be more clear cut like yours. Do you keep a family tree on software as well as the Research Notes? And do you keep research notes for extended family such as your ancestors' siblings, children, nephews/nieces etc or do you just keep their information in a software program like Family Tree Maker?
Well this almost sounds like another video. Let me answer your questions one at a time. I do keep Family Tree Maker as a tool that I think from time to time with ancestry.com. Are use FTM as a tool but not necessarily my primary tree. I use ancestry.com is my primary, but of course because it syncs with FTM it mirrors what’s on ancestry. This also works as a back up in case, heaven for bid something should happen to ancestry.com. Regarding your question about research notes. I keep research notes on everyone I’m researching in the same fashion that I demonstrated in the video. Regarding extended family distant cousins etc., no I do not unless I’m actively researching them. I could not possibly keep track of all of that. So the long and the short of it is, if I’m actively researching them I start creating research notes. For people I just barely do any research on, my research notes might be very short. But next time I go back to that person I will keep building on those same research notes. Overtime the research notes will grow. Especially if you keep one set of research notes per person. Of course you want to keep a constant back up somewhere. For me I have a back up system that automatically backs up so I don’t ever have to think about it. I think I answered all your questions.
Sorry for the typo in my previous comment the word “think” should be “syncs”.
Great questions Christa Taylor, thank you.
@@GenealogyTV In Family Tree Maker, each person has a notes area, and I keep my notes in there, so they back sync with Ancestry. While they are not available to the public on Ancestry, I can see them in either place. If I wanted my notes to show on Ancestry, I could copy them into the Ancestry Comment on that person and then the public could see.
Yes. True. And good idea.
I'm new to your channel and find it very useful. I agree with everything you are saying, especially about Ancestry, which I also love. I know this is an older video but I still wanted to say it's appreciated! You're never too old in genealogy to learn new tricks, lol!
Do you cite other's research in your own research? By that I mean, if I were to receive your family research and incorporate it into my own, would it not be right to cite you as a source? I recently butted heads with someone about this and was told I just "wanted recognition", which wasn't the case. It seems that information is now so much easier to find than when I started a long time ago and with that it seems people just copy and paste and move on. No citing, no looking at information to see if it is even accurate. I was just wondering your opinion on this. I received a lot of help in the early days of my research and wouldn't think of not giving those people credit.
I wanted to come back to add, I love your way of doing the notes in Word. You're right, adding footnotes isn't that hard. My thing is organizing into a narrative. But that's for another day, lol. Again, BIG THANKS!!
Thanks
Love your necklace.
Any tips on where to stop? Not in relation to direct lineage but when dealing with expanding horizontally? For example, working on my grandmother's sister I find her husband, children, etc. Then when entering them I come across the parents of the husband or spouses of the children. Then the children's spouses parents, siblings, etc pop up and their spouses and in-laws, and so on. At what point do I say enough? Since it's there and readily available I keep feeling obligated to hoard it and save it all. But then I'm creating folders and research notes pages for people that I'm not actively researching. But in the back of my mind I keep thinking down the road I might be looking for a FAN club info and it might be in this extended family members documents. Any advice? And thank you for all of your videos! I've watched them all, some multiple times! So helpful!
Addicted 2SPN this is a great question. May I use it in a video?
The short answer is... sit down with a cup of your favorite beverage away from the computer... and think about one thing you want to know the most about your family history. What do you want to know? Write it down. That's your answer. Focus on that one thing, research just what you need to satisfy your research question. You may have to research the FAN Club surrounding that person/clan to answer the question. Once that is done, repeat the process with a new question. Life is short, you don't have to build the tree for all of humanity. :) This is your hobby... do what makes you happy. I hope that helps.
@@GenealogyTV Thanks Connie!! Absolutely!! A video upload would be awesome. I'm in the process of organizing my tree. Saving records, facts etc. from Ancestry and Family Search. I just want to be organized. I have lots of documents, photos, etc. in my possession that aren't online so I want to make everything neat and structured before I start scanning, updating and resuming active research. But I keep falling down the rabbit hole. Headstone on Find A Grave? Cool! Oh, wow, there's his extended family, obituary, their headstones, etc. Add, add, add, LOL. Then when adding back in Ancestry I find I'm adding photos and dates for the great grandfather of the spouse of of my 1st cousin 1x removed :D Thanks for the reply!!
@@addicted2spn789 Going "too far" can produce some very interesting connections. I found a distant cousin married into the Hatfields & McCoys at the "right" time. Another distant relation married the poet Lord Byron. More closely related was the painter Benjamin West. An ancestor signed a document also signed by George Washington. Some of those extended entries (not necessarily family) can prove very interesting in deed.
@@suellenw561 That's awesome!
Connie, great video. How do you handle documents the aren't really related on one date. For instance, I have an employee file for an ancestor. Yes, there is a start date but the file contains information about injuries received on the job that doesn't have a date and notes about his performance that doesn't relate to a date. Plus dated promotions that span years. Would you record it all under the start date, or add the promotions under the various dates, then what would you do with the undated information?
Yes exactly. I would put the first reference with the start date (in chronological order of the start date) but also show the span of years. For example 1920-1940 Railroad Employment... Then if there is anything in those records that was important enough to note in other years... I would add a short paragraph about that (again in the chronology).
It is really up to you... but that is my method. Just make sure that future generations can understand what you're writing. So in later references to this employment, you might also reference (Railroad employee 1920-1940) within the secondary paragraphs.
As you continue to research... these notes can get long. You know us genealogist often just zoom our eyes to the year we're actively researching and may not read all the way back to when the employee started (in his Research Notes).
Love your handle BTW Magic Giggles. Too cute.
Hey there, what do you think about GRAMPS. It is an open source, local, software tool to do genealogy.
Never used it.
@@GenealogyTV I get that!
Thank you for the quick reply, I am just starting and learning a lot from your videos.
About the file folder names, if you put the date before the item name (1910 Birth Certificate instead of Birth Certificate 1910), the file names will stay in chronological order. The photos especially can get out of order. If there's a lot of them, it could make it difficult to find the one from 1950 amongst the copies of other documents. I guess this would depend on what order is more important to the researcher.
Great idea Suellen. You're right, it depends on the order of importance to the researcher. I like the name first, but as I always say, "you do you."
I can't find info I typed up 30 years ago. It was on MS word, but, what computer was it on, did I save it on a floppy disk that I cannot now access?
Now a lot of my documents are in Word on OneDrive. I'm still going to have to print it out and put it in a file, notebook or something in order for it to be available in 100 or 200 years. I do like the dictation, I've done that before and those are out on the web.
Thanks for the comment. I feel your pain.
Do you have your Research Notes TEMPLATE that you mentioned at the beginning available for purchase?
Yes I do! Here is the word version. genealogytv.org/product/research-notes-template-word-version/
@@GenealogyTV DONE! Thank you!
This might not receive an answer but I wanted to know other suggestions for finding a picture of my ancestor, actually biological grandfather I didn't know I had, my mom didn't know, until I started searching Ancestry for another reason. I am on Ancestry and there's none. My new first cousin only has pictures of when he was a child.
Check out this episode Ten Places to Find Your Ancestors in Photographs ruclips.net/video/Or8LT0uuQ98/видео.html
Hi there Connie.Where do I find the first video please?
Your Ancestry Questions Answered From the Video "How To Add FAN's to Ancestry.com" (Nov 2019), Pt. 1 ruclips.net/video/QxYlcuahjrE/видео.html
@@GenealogyTV thank you