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Organising your research or actually doing more?

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  • Organising your research or actually doing more?

    Hi all,

    Has anyone else had this same quandry? How did you go about it?

    I have (obviously) several lines that I'm researching, I am back to early 1800s maybe slightly earlier on most lines so research on those lines from now on is a bit slower and more time-consuming.

    Additionally, I have 2 complete branches that I haven't even touched yet (both in North Wales, surnames Roberts and Jones ).

    I have organised some of my research, but most of it is still either in my head, on scraps of paper or, at best, on loose paper in a folder. I have filled in some of the information on my Family Tree Maker program (which I love) but it takes ages to upload the census images, add in sources etc.

    Would you be stopping all research for a couple of months and just plod on getting what I have found 'in order' or would you keep researching?

    Many thanks for reading,
    Rachel

  • #2
    I'm afraid that's my cardinal sin too, I enjoy the 'chase' of amassing the info, in comparison writing it up fills too much like a chore. It's certainly worth doing though, our piles of bits and bobs otherwise will probably baffle whoever inherits them.It's probably also worth slowing down and trying to write up as you go along, as often I find when I go back alot of it is not so fresh in my own mind either, and sometimes my own notes, a year or so old, baffle me!

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    • #3
      My advice would be to add info & sources to your software programme as soon as you FIND it.
      (I'd been researching for 20+ years before I had access to a PC and family history software. It was a MAMMOTH task entering up all the information I'd accumulated and recorded on paper and stored methodically in files but I did it gradually, adding a family group at a time, and recording the details of abode and occupation at EACH census for EACH family member. Remembering to add the source each time WAS a pain, but has proved its worth many times over.)

      Can you not do the two side by side? Add a family group to your tree, fill in what you know, then research for other details about each individual and add to the treemaker as you go along.

      Jay
      Janet in Yorkshire



      Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

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      • #4
        Thanks for both your replies.... at least I'm not the only one who is finding the recording of it all, hard work.

        I have been doing both side by side, but I'm afraid I get distracted with the research and forget to record it properly. Then I run out of time (due to son, husband, house, parents, inlaws etc) and think 'right, I'll enter all that info later' but it doesn't happen. Then the next time I have a free hour rather than entering the info, I use the time to do more research. I suspect I need to devote myself completely for a few nights and see how far I can get. The worst case would be re-researching stuff because I had forgotten I already had it, I nearly did that yesterday which is what has made me wonder about this.

        Thanks again,
        Rachel

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        • #5
          I began work on my Heap Of Papers yesterday. All my certs, photos & wills are beautifully filed and I at least need to get some box files so my muddle isn't visible. I think you should be able to carry on researching and get your sources in order too - I'm sure you multi-task in other areas!

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          • #6
            It's a bit like the web isn't it - you start off for looking at dog food and before you know it you are looking at fleas on goldfish!!

            Sadly I imagine we all have the same problem - I have masses of paperwork which I promise myself faithfully I will enter up on to the tree before I research anything else. The trouble is some of the paperwork is either so out of date or needs some extra info, that means I have to go online to find the details. By the time I am there, 9 times out of 10 I fall over another piece of jigsaw that has been hiding! I can't leave it - (done that before and all it does it to fly off into the ether). By the time I have finished what I started out to do on one piece of paper that I was trying to finish I end up with another 10 pieces of paper!!!

            Now if anyone else tells me they don't have this problem please explain how you manage it - I always used to think of myself as being fairly well organised, until I started on the tree!!

            The other problem is - which family do you work on first - the one you pircked up the piece of paper on, the one someone has sent an email about, or the one you found jumping out at you??

            No - you are not alone - but I am praying that someone may come up with an answer for us!!!!!!!!
            There is no absolute truth - and no final answer.

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            • #7
              My cardinal rule now that I have FTM is to put the source info in as soon as I find it. I've been doing my tree for nearly two years now and have hardly ever recorded source information to date :o though I have printed out copies of census pages for every family, so it's sort of there but not easily useable. I've a v large task ahead in trying to source every person on my tree, but I look at it as a way of double checking my own research. I have decided to spend a couple of months getting this right as I think it will give me a better base to work from in the future.

              Kate x

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              • #8
                I was also guilty of not putting sources to start with. After all I 'knew' it didn't I. .... Well, NO! A few years later I found myself looking at details and think HOW did I know that?????

                With my Family Historian program its just a couple more clicks to record the source for every single fact you put in. However I haven't linked everything to documents etc - that really would be hard work. If I have a certificate I just put 'Birth Certificate' in the source. Similarly 'parish records'; 'will'; '1891 census'; 'obituary'. I find these sufficient without going over the top.

                I know (and admire) some people who record each source in huge detail - I just don't have the time or inclination. Anyway - its your tree and you can do it just how YOU like

                Anne

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                • #9
                  Agree with Anne except I have so much info that it is taking me years to input everything and yes I do mean YEARS! It was 2008 I went to Northants CRO and only just getting around to sorting out all info obtained!! Worthwhile but very hard work. I do not think there is an answer to this one at lesat I will be waiting to see if somebody comes up with one here!

                  Janet

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                  • #10
                    I've got all my info on FH software, but my paper files are a mess! :o

                    So I'm actually in the process of typing up notes on all my branches, which is taking ages, especially as it's showing up gaps in my research, which then prompts me to do more, therefore producing even more paperwork!! :D

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                    • #11
                      I make sure I get everything into FTM when I find it and before I get distracted by something else. Sometimes that amounts to transcribing 2 or 3 sheets of notes from census images and then finding and filling in BMD information for the individuals. At one time I downloaded and printed out census sheets but now I just note the address, ages, pobs and occupations. I don't even record the census page refs.!

                      I recently upgraded from FTM 2005 to 2010. So many more bells and whistles, but the downside is that it's so much slower to use.
                      Uncle John - Passed away March 2020

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                      • #12
                        Thank god I'm not alone!

                        It is such a task isn't it - but I'm going to complain anymore (today anyway lol), at least I've got information to record and I am grateful to the genealogy gods for that.

                        I definitely agree with the bit about recording everything actually showing up holes in your research, its amazing how many people on my tree (even the lower generations) that I have no death for. I think about 85% of my tree are considered 'living' by Family Tree Maker; the fact that old uncle arnold is now about 600 years old doesn't seem to matter, lol.

                        I'm going to try doing both, but make a pact with myself that if it doesn't work then I will put the recording info first. As my hubby says - history isn't going anywhere so don't double-handle paperwork or research things twice unless you need to.

                        (if I manage this it will be a miracle )

                        Rachel x

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                        • #13
                          However tedious it is to do the recording - do it. You'll find once you've filled in individual, family and pedigree sheets for people that dates of baptism etc stick in your memory better.You'll also avoid the trap of spending time - and often money - looking for information you've already scrawled on a scrap of paper.My laptop died on me and this puter is very old and can't manage family history software so I am going back to my paper-based files and ensuring they are in order. It's actually been very rewarding to see how much I've managed to find out!
                          ~ with love from Little Nell~
                          Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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