Organize Your Genealogy Project

Page Updated on November 24, 2007

I admit it! I'm a part of the next generation of genealogists, the electronic generation. I don't like having tons of papers in a filing cabinet, like the twelve copies of a single document instead of just one or two copies, when I could put everything on my computer and make my dozen copies there, ready to print at will when hard copies are needed. For me, a paper based organization system is just too cumbersome and takes up too much space. Of course, you can't get away from paper in a genealogy project, so my method of organization is quite streamlined and relies heavily on technology. My system absolutely requires a computer. If you don't have a computer, you may want to try using a more paper-oriented method. An excellent book for helping you learn such a method is Organizing Your Family History Search by Sharon DeBartolo. Keep in mind that his is my method of organization, and you will eventually develop your own with experience.

The Rules of Genealogy Organization

• Be consistent with your organization methods
• Organize items as soon as you receive them (file them, fill in your blanks on your charts, document source information, and so forth)

The Genealogy Filing Cabinet
Genealogy Notebooks
Keeping Genealogy Records on Your Computer