• It will enable you to review all your information to decide exactly what the scope of your book will contain.
• You will be empowered to make several important decisions during the process of what is in an out of your book.
• The process of organizing your research will reveal holes in your research that you may wish to address before you begin.
- Create files in word documents of all your notes. Start with a folder for each family surname, then create sub-folders in each file for each person, within those file folders keep notes and documents.
- Consider keeping a separate folder in My Pictures for each family surname and again create sub-folders for each person or family group within that surname, depending on how many pictures you have accumulated. Try not to let your files get to big or you will waste valuable time searching for your documents.
- Microsoft One Note is a great tool for your family history research. In OneNote you can create a notebook for each family surname. Within these notebooks you can copy articles you find on the web, photographs or Images from the Web and any related documents. Perhaps you have accumulate some notes through your digital library. OneNote will insert a reference link on the page so you can always return to the source. Microsoft OneNote makes a great working notebook for your family history research.
- Remember to back-up all this information on a regular basis. Choose the same day every month, so for instance the first day of the month back-up these files to a CD or an external hard drive. You do not want to spend months or years working on your book only to have your computer crash and lose a years worth of work.
- Next you want to create a binder of hard copies of all your information. Establish a binder for each family surname. Within this binder create a section for every major player. At the beginning of the binder, insert a pedigree chart, this establishes a quick outline of who is included in this book.
- Behind each tab for each person keep scanned copies of all their documents, copies of census documents, birth certificates, marriage certificates etc.
- You can also keep a clear plastic sleeve in each section to keep original documents, pictures anything you don't wish to put a whole, staple or paper clip on. These original documents can be moved after the completion of your book to a more secure long term location.
- On the first page of each sub-section keep a quick overview or timeline of the events of this person's life, including children, marriages, etc.
- You can also print off any research notes from the internet that you have accumulated in your One Notes workbook and insert them into these sections.