Organizing Your Research So You Never Lose a Find

A simple system for files, notes and research logs that keeps your family history from turning into a pile of unlabeled downloads.

2 min read

Every genealogist has had this moment: you know you saw great-grandpa's draft card somewhere, but you can't find the image, you don't remember which website it was on, and searching again turns up nothing. A little organization from the start prevents it. You don't need special software. You need three habits.

Habit 1: Keep a research log

A research log is a running list of every search you do, including the ones that find nothing. A spreadsheet or notebook works fine. For each entry, record:

• Date of the search
• Goal: the question you were trying to answer ("Find John Miller's death date")
• Source searched: the website or archive, the collection name, and the years and places covered
• Search terms: names, spellings and date ranges you tried
• Result: what you found, or "nothing found"

The "nothing found" entries matter as much as the hits. They stop you repeating the same search six months later, and they show you which records you haven't tried yet.

Habit 2: Name your files the same way every time

Downloads named image(37).jpg are lost the moment you save them. Pick a pattern and stick to it. One that works well is:

SURNAME_Firstname_birthyear_record-type_year_place

For example: MILLER_John_1842_census_1880_Hamilton-OH.jpg. Files sort neatly by family, and you can tell what each one is without opening it.

For folders, keep it simple. One folder per surname is plenty for most people. When a surname folder gets crowded, add one subfolder per couple: MILLER/John Miller & Sarah Hayes.

Habit 3: Record the source the moment you find something

When you save a record, write down exactly where it came from before you do anything else: the website, the collection title, and the page or image number. Paste the web address into your notes or file properties. Years from now, "I found it on FamilySearch" won't be enough to find it again. "FamilySearch, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789–2016, Hamilton County, image 412" will.

Choosing a home for your tree

Keep one master tree that you control. That can be desktop software, such as the free program Gramps, or a private online tree. Online trees are convenient and produce record hints, but they can change or disappear if a company changes its terms. Many researchers keep a desktop master and sync or upload a copy online.

Whatever you use, export a GEDCOM file now and then. It's the standard format every genealogy program can read, so your work is never locked into one company.

Back it up

Use the "3-2-1" rule: three copies of your files, on two different kinds of storage (say, your computer and an external drive), with one copy somewhere else (a cloud service, or a drive kept at a relative's house). Years of research can vanish with one failed hard drive.

Next steps

With a system in place, you're ready to dig into records. Try Finding Obituaries and Death Records next, or see the methodology tools in our Resource Directory.