How do you organise your files??

[AnjaliUK]

Hi everyone,

I love the fact there is a whole section dedicated to writing up your family history, I was sure I was the only one being driven crazy by formatting issues!

So far I've written up all my research into an offline website of my own creation, however, I would like to put together a hard copy version; a folder with print-outs of sources, biographies, hand-drawn trees and photos, so that I can show it to other people.

I've started putting it together, but it's driving me crazy trying to put it into some sort of logical order, particularly with the siblings of my direct line.

Has anyone got any tips on how to organise the info? How do you structure your files and what info do you put in - all of it, or just the highlights?

Should I put a tree for the whole surname, then sections with a tree for just one family, then a bio for the direct line parents, then their sources, THEN their kids' bios and sources, OR all the bios, then all the sources, OR.... ???? Should I put in the sources I have for all their kids, or just the ones that were interesting enough for me to write biographies for? Help!

[Pam Downes]

Well, the bad news is that there is no perfect/easy way.
I'm still thinking about my 'best way', and if past form is anything to go by, I'll still be working on it in five years time!
I would say concentrate on the main direct line(s) through your parent(s) - that gets bad enough when you get four generations back from them and (if you've got them all) you've got thirty-two people in the pot.
Tree diagrams are essential, and (at the moment!) I would do a direct line tree, and then trees for each family section.
An index might be helpful, listed by first names, and including both the maiden and married names of the women, and including the page numbers their details can be found.
What I have totally decided is to do two 'histories'. My dad's side have no interest in the name of my mum's 4x great grandmother's brother's daughter, and ditto my mum's side have no interest in where my dad's cousin's wife's great uncle lived in 1861.

Thinking a little more about my own possible system, I'd do direct line biographies, followed by copies of GRO certs/PR entries/census, and then a list of the actual source references if you want. Possibly one photo per 'age' of a person (baby, child, marriage, older) and then more photos in a separate section. And then branch off into the siblings, dealing with them with the same system.
Bear in mind that you need to keep things 'readable'. Putting all the 'heavy' stuff at the end of a section means that people can access it as and when they want instead of having to wade through it to get to the interesting bits.
Pam

[Wilkes_ml]

Well, I've been research my family history for 15 years, and I'm still re-jigging my filing system!!! I have a ring binder for almost every surname (or where there is little information on particular branches I subdivide a folder with all surnames in a particular county). each surname is divided into source "type" i.e. copies of certificates, parish register photocopies and census copies. I also use a computer programme to create databases - again each surname has it's own file (makes things more manageable) and everything is sourced.

And then I have extra folders for my one-name-studies. I'm still toying with creating "special" folders of interesting stories.

I also keep all original birth, marriage & death certificates in acid free certificate binders.

[Barnzzz]

I've got ring binders, with a section for each surname in alphabetical order. Each person has a plastic folder with all their details inside. They all have a 'top sheet' showing their name, date of birth, spouse, parents, children etc. I keep these in alphabetical order too. I've also got a family tree program, so that I can easily see the relationships between people.

The only problem is that I've got 5 ring binders so far. I started out filling plastic folders with information just for people who I knew quite a lot about. My husband then felt sorry for someone who didn't get one and would have otherwise not been remembered at all by anyone. He didn't think that was fair and thought that everyone should have one! Now they all have one, even if there's hardly anything in it.

Sue

[AnjaliUK]

Thanks very much for your suggestions! It's interesting to know how other people are doing things. I like how your husband (Sue) felt sorry for the ones you'd left out!!

I had a go tonight at restructuring my file, drawing on the ideas people have described. Started the Collen section with a title page with the surname and its meanings, followed by the Collen tree (direct line and children), followed by a section for each Collen family. The sections start with the family's tree, including direct line ancestors' children's marriages and children, then the direct line couple's biography, followed by a sort-of cover page listing the evidence and sources used. Some sources are transcribed directly onto this page, eg. baptism transcriptions and GRO index, others are referred to and are overleaf, eg. printed census records and certificates. After that, I did the same order for each of their children within the same section, but left out research I had done into their children to avoid over complicating things.

However, I have only done one family section, not even printed everything and I'm already itching to change it! Especially after seeing Gambrill's brilliant, fun website (on another post on this forum) which makes my folder look really dry and boring. Darn it! At least I'm not the only one who can't decide though eh!

Thanks again...