5 Genealogy Tools to Make Your Research Easier
Have you ever started a genealogy research session and stared at a blank page? Where do you start? Who do you research? And what records do you use? That’s where genealogy organization comes in. The genealogy tools that I share are some of the most basic that you’ll need to get the results that you want for your ancestors.
Genealogy Tools: Research Plan
This is a blueprint of your answers to all the above questions. Who do you research? In what records? Where are you going to find those records, etc. Write down your question and then write down how you are going to solve for that question. I know it sounds like a math problem, but trust me, it’s a lot more fun then a math problem! This is especially helpful if you don’t have a lot of time to do genealogy in that moment. So looking at your plan helps you choose your task.
Research Log
This is an active list of all the places you go and every record you find or don’t find about a particular ancestor. This goes with you everywhere while you are researching. It’s the note taking sheet, the source citation, the negative finds, the positive finds, etc. This is a life saver if you ever have to go back and find something or if you need to remember where you left off in your search.
Checklist
This is a list of different types of records that may have genealogical information. It includes journals, newspapers, recipe cards, emails, notes in a magazine, etc. You can also list different websites for each ancestor. This works well if they’re foreign born. The checklist is to help you do a reasonably exhaustive search for your ancestor. That way you know that the information you’re looking for is not available yet or you would’ve found it.
Timeline
Another organizing tool that helps you see the information holes you have for that ancestor. You plug in all the details from birth to death in this timeline. Don’t forget to add the local and national historical events such as wars, economic changes, farming ups and downs, etc. Newspapers are great for filling in these spots.
Computer Software
The majority of genealogy is now done online including adding your family trees, researching, and connecting with people. But it’s good to have your own personal genealogical software to do your research on and then upload it to the websites. This makes it less confusing because you’re the only one working on it instead of many people contributing to the same family tree. Once you have your information completed and correct, then you can put it on the online family tree. Or you can fill in gaps that you see from others working on the same tree. RootsMagic or Ancestral Quest are two of the most common programs out there. They’re user friendly and compatible with FamilySearch and Ancestry.
Last Thoughts on Genealogy Tools
These genealogy tools are just the essentials of what you need to be organized with your genealogy. But this is the groundwork to get you started on your journey this year. So choose where you need to strengthen your organization foundation and get better habits for that area. It doesn’t have to be a major overhaul. But it does have to be part of your plan if you want to grow as a family historian. Good organization means good genealogy research. It will get you the results you want.
And in the meantime…good luck and happy hunting!
Tiffany
P.S. Related Reads…
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