What's the best way to organise your paperwork...?

[Sahara]

I was wondering if anyone would like to share their methods of filing the paperwork that comes with researching a family tree as I am getting in a pickle trying to organise myself.

I have lots of different bits of information on paper. I have census returns, photos of gravestones and old addresses of ancestors, certificates... etc etc

My question really is what is the best way people have found to store their paperwork in a logical system (and suggestions that haven't worked will be useful too).

I have thought of organising by having a folder for each surname - but then what do you with marriage certificates and how do you cope with the woman who marries into another surname? Or do I have a folder for census returns, a folder for certificates, a folder for each surname with collated information.....

The list goes on and on!!! As you can tell, I am going round in circles with this so all suggestions of what does and doesn't work will be greatly appreciated.

[Chattykathy]

Hi Sahara,

I use 3 ring binders and plastic sheet protectors to insert papers into so I can fronts and backs.  Sheet protectors allow me to "handle" and flip pages without dog earing, tearing or getting them smudged up.

Plastic will also protect the official docs but allow you to easily see them with touching them directly.

I put all my census printouts together by Family group in one protector.  Since once I've gleaned the info --  only have to go back them once in a while.

Either use tab dividers between family groups or start a whole new binder for families that don't tie into directly to one another.

I keep a running narrative in Word of my research findings, theories, conclusions, ideas/leads to research
and then put just the "tree" and chronology in a separate Excel workbook format with very little narration.  Each family group has a section and then I cross reference as necessary.

The Book has maps, general interest articles about people, locations, history, etc.

Not using a Gencom program yet but should be fairly easy to transfer from the "tree" format I have in Excel.

I started this way from day 1 so has worked well.  Not very fancy but it works for me!

Good luck, Happy Hunting!
Kathy

[Sylviaann]

You might like to read this thread http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,32206.0.html
and the other one referred to there.

Plenty of good ideas.  It's always difficult and You will probably have to change your iseas as you go along.

Sylviaann

[Sahara]

Hi Kathy and Sylviaann,

Thank you for your help and advice on this. I am have been on a huge mission all day to get myself organised and I'm getting there... slowly! I still have a long way to go though! I think I'm off to the stationary shop tomorrow for more supplies 

Thanks again!

Sahara

[Sooziecats]

I have only been tracing my tree since January and have now found that a lot of stuff I found at first and disregarded would now be useful!  (My Nan was the youngest of 17!) I currently keep all my records in a ring binder divided by surname/generation. With misc. stuff at the back for future use.

Don't forget to write down all websites and/or add them to your favourites, that you visit as it is easy just to click on links and then forget how you got there!  I also have a tree on the web (tribalpages) which I keep updated for family to view. Good luck and keep it tidy

Sue B

[Nick Carver]

Although it may seem obvious to organise your paperwork, that is not necessarily the case. I am blessed (or cursed) with a pretty good memory so when I first started researching I was able to remember ALL names, dates etc. Of course, it doesn't take long before you get so much information that it is impossible to remember it all and by that time you have a mountain of paper. I am trying to get organised but failing dismally. The moral is to start early and make it methodical. It's easy to subdivide a section than to start trying to create a methodology when you have so much bumf that you don't know where to start. And most important of all, back up all your computer data regularly. You may think that it will be easy to retrace your steps if your computer crashes, but it's most certainly not.

[Shanko]

I always photocopy all original birth, death, marriage certificates, Army records, divorce papers, baptism papers, immigration documents, naturalization documents  etc etc and put the originals into acid free plastic then into acid free folders then into acid free boxes. This way none of the ogirinals become damaged and the copies I use in the ring binders.

I have a ring binder for each family PLUS another one for that family which I keep all scribbly notes in.

With treasured old photo's I do the same. I reproduce the originals and use those for framing on walls, in albums etc and the originals are stored in acid free albums using acid free corners to hold the photos in place then into acid free boxes.

All your original documents and photos will never get damaged and you have the copies to show and tell with

Acid free items maybe expensive but are well worth it when preserving precious things such as family history items

Shanko