Benefits of Organizing Your Genealogy Research

So you want to research your family history. What do you already know about your ancestors? What documents do you have? Why do you want to do this research? What is your goal?

Whatever you have to start, organizing your efforts and results is a critical tool in successful genealogical research.  Being systematic is vital for several reasons:

1. Efficiency:

When you organize your research and workplace, you can quickly find the information you need. This efficiency saves time and prevents frustration during the research process.

If you are disorganized,  you may misplace something and lose time and frustration searching for it. You can better spend this lost time searching for more information, evaluating what you find, and many more genealogy or family activities. Worse,  you may spend money to replace what you misplaced, which is money you can not use to pay for books, conferences, trips, or updating your computers and software.

• Clarity:

Being organized helps you find your desired results effectively. Organized research allows you to trust the information you’ve gathered. When you have facts at your fingertips, it is easier to enter accurate criteria in your searches. It enables you to do precise and complete research. It minimizes the time you spend going down rabbit holes chasing false information.

Additionally, when you are organized, other people find it easier to work with you. Answering questions and extracting documents from your files effectively gives the impression of a knowledgeable genealogist and earns respect from the other person. Working with an organized researcher can be a pleasure. If you provide an incomplete answer and can not find your documentation, other researchers may ask themselves if they want to work with you.

• Better Decision-Making:

Clutter and disorganization can impair your ability to focus and make decisions accurately. You may feel overwhelmed. The experience increases your stress level, which hurts your productivity and decision-making ability.

Organizing puts you back in control. You’ll know where to find relevant materials, making the entire process more manageable. It reduces the time spent chasing false clues. If you are calm and organized,  you can think more clearly, make better decisions, and do better work. You can enjoy your genealogy work.

Also, remember that organizing your research goes beyond setting up a filing system. To be organized, consider the following:

1. Set a goal
2. It is why you are doing your research.
3. It may change, but you need a direction to get started.
4. It helps you to stay focussed.

• Carefully choose the information you save
• It is crucial to know the difference between documents and information
• It is essential to see the information that helps your ancestor’s story to emerge
• It is imperative not to clutter your files with documents for non-family members unless they add to your goals.

• Plan on sharing your research with your family
• Sharing may get you more information from family members as they remember
• Making sure your family understands what you show them will help your research
• Ensuring you organize your genealogy files increases the odds that your family will keep them and not throw them out as a bunch of old papers

So, start organizing early to reap the benefits. Whatever your goals are, do the work, organize the information, and save what you find for future generations. Design your organizational plan to fit your goals, skills, and space. Get it organized so it’s worth saving.

Remember, your research can create something valuable for you and your family.