The paper trail

[chopendoz]

My question is very basic - but important. I assume that all of us use a computer program to store all the data but how does one organise the mass of paper that one accumulates over time?. Better still, what are the tried and true methods used by the more experienced researchers? Not only do I want to store all the information I can but I want to be able to find when I need it. When one's family numbers into the thousands, it's all too easy to lose a piece of paper. I'm not talking logistics - we all have the folders and plastic jackets. I'm talking organisation. The computer program will churn out a detailed rundown of your family tree with the oldest member as No. 1 and increasing with each added member - but the numbers change with each addition, so you can't use those numbers on paper files. I have experimented with a couple of ways. Colour coded folders - one for the main family name and several others for the maternal family names. Then there are folders for Certificates, contacts, general information about Census, BMD, etc, photographs, etc etc. This becomes unwieldy after a while. I am looking at a metre of paper here. Another way I am thinking about is to number the direct line family members 1 - 99 with myself as number 1 and 98/99 being a ggggmother/father. This is because we all have 2 parents, 4 g/parents, 8 gg/parents, 16 ggg/parents and 32 gggg/parents and so on. Each person has a page with a reference to parents. It's only an idea. I would be very interested in methodology - what works for you?

[Geoffers]

I don't rely on a family history programme to store all information or to churn out its own references, which don't suit me - my research pre-dates personal computing and so I keep to a system (which has been adapted over years) which I began back in the early 70s. It's labour intensive, but I can find documents very easily.

I am slowly entering all data onto Custodian III, which is the nearest thing to a programme which suits me. In the meantime, I keep an old fashioned card index and I also maintain a spreadsheet of source documents.

My card index is to individuals and each individual card contains details of source documents listed in the spreadsheet.

The spreadsheet has the following columns:

Type e.g. CR for Census, BC - for Birth Certificates, RN - Royal Navy, L - letter

Doc.ref (Document reference) - a three letter code for the place and a three digit code for the year then an oblique stroke and a two digit number. So, NOR851/01 is the first document relating to Norwich from 1851; NOR851/02 is the second, etc.

ID (Personal reference number) - I include the personal reference of the individual - Everyone in my main index has a personal ID consisting of two letters (their initials reversed, so William Lowe become LW) followed by three digits (if I get more than 999 entries with the same initials, I can simply substitute the first digit for a letter)

Name - To whom the document relates

Notes - anything that will help me to identify the document, or information about it.

Loc (Location of document) - where I keep the original record e.g C2,D3 (Filing cabinet 2, drawer 3).

Rep (Repository) - who holds the original document of which I have a hard copy - e.g. TNA, NRO, GRO, etc

Srce ref (Original source reference) - This might be a GRO index reference, a Census return reference - anything.

Then with each original document, I have its document reference and the codes of the individuals mentioned on it.

[busyglen]

That's really impressive Geoffers! I wish that I was as organised, and had started my research before computers, although I don't know where I would have put a cabinet in which to store the cards and folders etc.

Having only started researching about 6 years ago, I started with a thin folder with plastic wallets. (Little did I know at the time, that this was going to be perfectly inadequate)! As the paper grew, I moved onto larger folders with plastic wallets, and originally put each family (husband & wife) into one having divided into two. This of course then started to accumulate with the children. All certs. and sources found were put into the back of each section, but then of course as I had queries, these pieces of paper were added, so that I didn't lose them. This wasn't the best idea I've ever had, as I am apt to put queries in a plastic wallet on the desk, to follow up etc, and in the meantime, a new query or find happens, and that gets put on the pile.

My in-tray is full to almost overflowing, even though I keep going through it to try and get rid of defunct information. Also pieces of paper and information that I have found when trying to help other members, are kept for a while, so these also are added to the pile in the tray!|banghead|

The family folders are kept in three large drawers, and I cannot get any more into them....so I really must find the time to whittle them down to that information that is really necessary to keep.

The whole of the family tree is kept on my Brothers Keeper programme, with all of the information that is necessary to record authentication, and whereabouts of documents etc. Sadly, this really needs updating. I must add that I do regularly back-up everything, as I would hate to lose all of this information!

So.....I wish that I had come into this earlier, and had a card system, as I think this would have been much easier to cope with, and not take up so much room. I used to work with a card system at my last place of employment, and I found it so easy to pull a card out. The only fault there is that you must remember to `put them back' !

Unless you are a really methodical and tidy person, I think everyone gets snowed down by reams of paper in this hobby, and being female, with lots of other chores to do, it's so difficult to keep up with it all! ;)

Glenys

[Mike_E]

where I keep the original record e.g C2,D3 (Filing cabinet 2, drawer 3).


I think you are just showing off! Filing Cabinet indeed! I use old shoe boxes :D... no only joking. I'd love to be able to use a filing cabinet, and index cards to point you to the original Docs, just no space for such a thing.

All of my stuff is stored in Folders with Plastic inserts on a bookshelf next to my Computer, and I seem to spend ages re-indexing or sorting stuff. Once I run out of space I'll have to get a smaller computer so I store more paper records.

[suedent]

I do have a filing cabinet, I was lucky enough to spot one in a second hand shop. I must admit the "filing" bit is a bit lacking at the moment. Things tend to be put in there for "safe-keeping" rather than filed.

I keep promising myself that I will sort it out one day - occasionally I open the drawers, take a peak & retreat in horror!

[Davran]

I operate on the "expansion" system. Like Glenys I started off with one file for everyone. I now have several leverarch files, mostly each containing info about one name. Each file is divided into sections for Births, Marriages, Deaths and a section for each census. Any incidental stuff (emails, biographical info, etc) is kept at the front and sometimes in a separate plastic pocket.

Not a great system, but at least it's more or less under control until I retire and have more time to sort it all out properly.

[AnnB]

Not a great system, but at least it's more or less under control until I retire and have more time to sort it all out properly.

Believe me Davran - it doesn't matter how much time I have, I never have enough to sort it all out properly :o

I have graduated to a filing cabinet, although I still have lever arch files for specific families. I did have a massive clear out a while ago, when I ditched all the print-outs of census returns and print-outs of pages from the IGI (from the days before rhe internet) - but I am ashamed to admit any space I acquired is rapidly being refilled, and I've just sent off for five more wills.......... I do use Family Historian to keep all the basic information on.

I wish I was as organised as Geoffers, but there is a certain element of fun (?) in going through a stack of paper and rediscovering something you had kept 'just in case' - and finding that it was just what you were looking for ;)

Best wishes
Ann

[busyglen]

Not a great system, but at least it's more or less under control until I retire and have more time to sort it all out properly.

Don't you believe it! Once you retire, you will be trying to do so many things, that you haven't had time for, they will all get left. |hug| I have it on good authority. ;)

Glenys

[Colin Moretti]

I transcribe everything and save it as a file on my PC (backing up every couple of hours to a separate hard drive and less frequently to other media) and I also keep the paper original. I create a unique source record in my program (Family Historian) for each document, link that source to the transcription and to all the individuals it relates to. From the individual I can then follow through to every document (or at least the transcription thereof) of relevance; sometimes finding the piece of paper takes a little longer but it's rarely necessary. For many documents I also produce a scanned image linking that to the source record too.

Paper records, once they have been transcribed, have a system of sorts, certificates are filed in date order, not by family or name; censuses in series, piece, folio and page order (again not by name); wills are in date order. Parish register copies tend to be in date order by parish, but that's not followed 100%. Other documents tend to be filed rather haphazardly - if I have a lot of information on one person it's all kept in one folder, otherwise similar information is all lumped together.

All my research notes made at archives etc are recorded in a hard-back notebook and kept - no scrappy bits of paper (well, usually not) and I keep them all.

I maintain a running to-do file on my PC for each archive, noting those records that need to be checked on my next visit or two, saving it after each visit with a note of the records checked retaining in the running file just those yet to be looked at.

Worrying about filing systems is not something I want to do so I leave it to my computer to find the information when I need it.

Colin

Colin

[Barnzzz]

Oh dear ! I feel all unorganised now, with all this talk of filing cabinets and the like ! I've got lever arch files with plastic wallets, with dividers with names in alphabetical order, OK so far. Then I've got some random piles spread about the place, these are 'things I'm doing at the moment', 'things I'd like to do', 'things I've done but haven't filed yet' and 'things I've collected along the way which don't go on the other piles'. Then there's the info from the NA which is too big to fit in a folder or on a pile so is leaning against the bookcase next to the parlour palm...........I could go on....
As I said 'Oh dear!'
Sue

[chopendoz]

Many thanks to all who posted. I have learned a few things. It seems that my filing 'system' has become so bogged down with so many unconnected pieces of data that it may be easier to start again from scratch and have a fresh look. I realise that I only have to do this right once, and make it easy, in the hope that my daughter will continue when I pop off.

[Waitabit]

After many years of jottings on Paper & various books, along came computers, & when I finally had access to one ,what fun I had...but oh the paper ! Now everything new goes on "notepad" always on desktop..onto floppy disc.. then C.D. It's always there for a quick lookup & loves me adding stuff to it. No writers cramp either. All gets tidied up for Legacy files.
Oh yes..the paper is mostly all still there...with mixtures of notes made in a hurry & info copied from from LDS films. Looks like I work hard!! |biggrin|

Wendy