Keep your ancestry research focused with these 28 research forms.
As I have conducted individual and family research for writing narratives, I have learned a lesson or two about keeping and managing my research to know where I am in the research and how to find and use the information in my writing carefully. The following are practices and tools I have developed to aid my research and writing.
28 Research Forms Table of Contents
The following 28 practices, tips, and tricks help keep research focused and organized for individual and family research and writing narratives.
1. Regularly merge and purge files
Once you have set up your filing system, you need to periodically purge duplicate items, remove unnecessary documents, make decisions about the contents, and move some items to another type of folder or container. After reviewing, sorting, and purging information in the file folder, I make it a practice to ask myself, “What is missing that would help me be a better researcher?”
2. Keep source citation
Try to maintain a source citation for each document or item in the file so that you can verify the trail of your research. Make it a habit to have the citation available when writing the family history or share this information with others. It will eliminate the time-consuming extra steps of returning to the original book, document, film, or website to secure the source.
3. Include your handwritten notes
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to interview many family members who no longer live. I’ve made it a practice to include the interview notes (original or scanned) in the filing folders. You will find these notes to be pertinent to future research. If you have recorded an interview, include a transcript in the folder. All of these sources are essential family documents.
4. Include five-generation group sheets
Genealogical computer programs provide many options for charts and reports. A good five-generation chart will quickly outline the relationship between family members. When I first started research, I had many family group sheets (reports that outline information related to a family unit) that had been handwritten. I took the time to enter the information into genealogy software programs. I use these programs to help organize my research for my individual, family, and writing research.
5. Keep photocopies and digital images
As you conduct research, make it a practice to make photocopies or digital images (with your camera or scanner) of the critical sources of your research. It provides proof, citations, and clues for future research. Make it a practice to include the title page of your source. If the title page is missing, substitute the library catalog printout. Some images are no longer pertinent (not the right family) as your research progresses and should be purged.
6. Photographs require their storage place
Genealogical file folders are not an excellent location to store family photographs. Take the time to learn about how to preserve and archive photos properly. After I scan or duplicate images, I have made it a practice to catalog and file the images to use them in my research actively. Where appropriate, I will place a copy of an image in the file folder. Because many of my photographs are digital, I have created a digital catalog that is cross-referenced to the individuals, locations, and the original.
7. Keep original documents in a safe place
Whenever possible, store original documents such as birth, marriage, and death certificates under archival-safe conditions. I have found that archival sleeves or file folders stored in an archival box are the best storage method. I place a reference photocopy in the appropriate folder of my filing system. I always make it a practice to scan these documents, which allows me to share this information with other family members and to use digital images in my research.
8. Create and file a cross-reference guide
I have created a cross-reference guide indicating which documents about this person or family are available in other folders for ease of access. There is no reason to duplicate documents within the paper files, such as a marriage certificate or a census page. However, these documents and many others include multiple names.
9. Use forms to gather, manage, and guide your research
It doesn’t take long for your research to get out of control when it comes to miscellaneous scraps of paper with indecipherable notes, orphaned photocopies with no identifying marks, lecture and class handouts, copies of emails, bibliographic references, post-it notes, scribbled messages, and torn bits of magazine or newspaper articles. I use various forms to help me stay organized in all phases of my research, and I regularly file these forms for later review and use. The following is a list and description of the most common forms I use in my research. These forms are available for download at my website.
10. Use timelines
It is essential to draft regular summaries of your findings. Two of the forms that summaries can take are the timeline and the narrative. The timeline is a chronological listing of events in a particular person’s life or a period in the existence of a family. The timeline should reflect the research principle that you should work from the present to the past. Thus, a timeline on a particular person should begin with their death and then progress back in time. It may prove helpful to introduce historical events into the timeline, particularly those of regional significance, which may dictate the availability of records (a tornado that destroyed a courthouse, for example).
11. Develop narratives.
A narrative can be as straightforward as an informal collection of paragraphs about an individual or as elaborate as a multi-generational family history suitable for publication. For most researchers, the more straightforward paragraph narrative is the precursor to publication. You need not be an award-winning author to present your findings in this manner. Compose an accurate and concise summary of your research steps and a condensed version of your findings. Consider such a narrative to be a research status report that can help you to spot inconsistencies in your evaluations as it highlights potential pursuit opportunities.
12. Research activity logs
The research activity log, used in conjunction with the timeline, is an efficient way to keep track of the origins of information provided on the family group sheet and in a chronological account. A well-kept research activity log will serve as a quick reference for sources of information, allowing you to see at a glance what work remains to be done. The source numbers cross-reference to the sources used in entering information on the family group sheet and the timeline.
13. To-do list
Periodically, I will review each folder in a filing system and list items that need further attention or research. I will make one to-do list per folder. On the list, be very specific about the items needed. Also include any clues about the names, time frame, and place. Use this list to search websites and take it on research trips. Include item(s) to search, pertinent dates and names, and film or book numbers.
14. Cemetery log
A worksheet to take with you when researching cemetery records or visiting a cemetery in person can be very helpful. Cemetery logs can also show families, collateral lines, and friends since many were buried in clusters. Your cemetery log form should look something like this example:
| Name of Cemetery: | ||||
| Town or County: | ||||
| Physical Address: | ||||
| Age | Date of Birth | Date of Death | Inscription | Location in Cemetery |
15. Research logs
The research log, also called a calendar, is a running list of sources checked; annotations can indicate whether a particular source revealed anything. The log shows all sources checked and acts as a table of contents to the research notes.
16. Correspondence log
The correspondence log lists all the letters and emails you send and receive. It includes who the correspondence was to and from, the topic, and the next steps I want to take in the process. Create an electronic or hardcopy file so you easily retrieve letters as needed.
| Date | Name, Address, email | Information Requested | Information Received | Correspondence Research Notes |
17. Pedigree charts
Pedigree charts provide an overview of the family and enable you to track research progress. All information recorded on the sheet (names, dates, and places) should be accompanied by a notation showing how that information was obtained. If names, dates, or places indicated on a pedigree chart are a product of speculation (unproven or undocumented), that fact should be indicated in some way on the chart.
18. Family group sheets
Family group sheets organize what is known about a couple and their children. Researchers usually use family group sheets, including spaces for names, parents, dates and places of events, children, spouses, sources, and other information, to help identify particular family members. Sources can be entered on the back of the sheet if the room is limited on the front. Blank sheets can be used as worksheets when researching.
19. Index notes and handouts
If you attend many society meetings, classes, or lectures, you probably receive lots of handouts. Since most handouts don’t apply to any specific family, remembering what handouts and notes you have can be complex, an index, organized alphabetically (if possible), will give you an “at a glance” reference to what sources of information you have.
20. Marriage log
A marriage log displays information about the bride and groom for a specific location. You can adapt the form to your needs if you wish to cover more than one location on a form.
| Town/County/State: | |||
| Courthouse Address: | |||
| Age | Book | Page | Date of Wedding |
21. Migration trail map
Migration trail maps display every place an individual or family lived, helpful in locating specific locality resources. A migration trail can also lead you to further information about the forces that drove the families to move (war, land opportunities, crop failures, or simply a desire to change locations). It would help if you were sure to check out each stop for collateral lines and extended families.
22. Relationship chart
If you are confused about how one individual is related to another person or group of people, a relationship chart will tell you their relationship. Several relationship (cousinship) charts are available online but use a genealogy database program to generate a chart for multiple relationships. Relationship charts can be beneficial when you have two ancestral lines that inter-marry.
23. Research log
Research logs can be divided by individual or surname, as you desire. Logs should be taken with you when you research, and every item you search should be entered. This may seem like a lot of work (especially for those resources in which you find no information), but a detailed research log can be used as a roadmap to show you what resources you’ve checked and what results you found there. You may adapt a research log for use on the Internet as well; notations of what websites, indexes, and databases you’ve searched can be helpful, as can listing those sites and newsgroups to which you have submitted a query.
| Individuals’ Name | |||
| Family Group or Chart # | |||
| Information Needed: | Location: | ||
| Date of Search | Location or Call No. | Source | Document Number |
24. Abstract forms for deeds and wills
An abstract form walks you through the task of extracting vital information from deeds and wills by prompting you to note the important information found on these legal documents. An abstract form is worth its weight in gold when you find yourself in a dusty, dimly-lit courthouse basement with a colossal deed book on your lap.
25. Census extract forms
It is easy to miss information after you’ve worn out your eyes staring at census microfilm, hence creating census extract forms. These forms (available for all census years from 1790-1940) allow you to note the necessary information and show families and neighbors as they occur on the microfilm. Any notes or comments you may wish to make can be entered on the back of the form.
26. Problem worksheet
A problem worksheet can be created for all the research on an individual or a specific problem. If you need to find the birth and marriage records, you can create a worksheet outlining the two problems and possible avenues of research. A problem worksheet is your place to brainstorm—put down any ideas you have where you might look for answers. Note the results, and be sure to include the specifics in your research log.
27. Transcribe and abstract documents
To fully understand all of the clues, details, and facts included in documents, transcribe and abstract those documents. A transcript should include verbatim the content contained in the original document. An abstract should minimize the words used yet maintain the pertinent facts and the integrity of the document. Transcriptions and abstracts are helpful in documents such as deeds, interviews, journals, letters, pension papers, and wills. The transcription helps identify all facts within the document, understand each word used, and simplify subsequent readings. The abstract helps to summarize the pertinent facts, list the names, and remove the confusion with language terms used.
28. Consistently conduct evidence analysis-Genealogical Proof Standard
Always be asking, “Does my research provide the evidence to prove the relationship from one generation to the next?” Analyze your sources. It would be best if you determined how much weight or validity to give to each source.
I have found that individual or family research involves more than just examining records. It involves understanding the difference between primary and secondary information, original and derivative sources, and direct and indirect evidence. I learned about and used the Genealogical Proof Standard to measure the credibility of research statements. I’ve learned to do the following in my research:
- Carefully consider the source. Sources are anything or anybody that provides data. Sources vary in terms of reliability. Original sources are most reliable, but derivative sources can also contain helpful and accurate information. A source is still in its initial forms, such as a birth, marriage, or death certificate. A derivative source has been modified from an earlier form, such as someone who transcribed the information from the original record. More reliable sources are generally given more weight; thus, original sources usually carry more weight than derivative sources. But be careful and make sure to double-check the information provided from any source, since even reliable sources can provide erroneous information.
- Always ask, “Who provided the information?” Information is the data provided by sources. The reliability of information depends on the credibility of the person who provided it. Primary information—which comes from someone with firsthand knowledge—is generally more reliable than secondary information—which comes from someone who learned it from somewhere or someone else. Primary information usually carries more weight than secondary information. An informant’s credibility depends on how the information was obtained, how soon the details were recorded, and circumstances such as age, illness, or bias.
- Turn information into evidence. Sources are carefully analyzed to extract relevant information. Relevant information from different sources is compared to establish similarities and inconsistencies. Data analysis and correlation turn relevant information into evidence. Evidence may be direct or indirect. Direct evidence provides an answer to a research question on its own. Indirect evidence doesn’t provide an answer on its own, but when combined with other evidence, it can help establish a solution.
- Prove your conclusions. Information obtained from sources is analyzed and correlated with developing a body of evidence for the given genealogical problem. “Proof” consists of a well-reasoned conclusion based on the sum of the evidence. Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) requires that five criteria be met before a genealogical statement is considered credible:
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- Conduct a reasonably exhaustive search for all information that is pertinent.
- Include an accurate source citation for each item of information.
- Analyze and correlate the collected information to assess its quality.
- Resolve any conflicts of evidence that contradict each other.
- Write a soundly reasoned, coherent conclusion.
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- Create proof summaries of your research to keep ancestry research focused. As a writer and researcher, I don’t know any document that directly says John Jones or Richard Schreiber is part of my family line. It has taken a combination of clues and other documents to lead to those conclusions. After conducting my research on a particular family line, it’s not uncommon for me to have to take a week and sometimes months before I can resume my research. It’s easy to forget the steps taken and the current conclusions, thus making it necessary to start all over again. While all of the facts are fresh, write down the theory in a proof summary that states what you have researched and why you have drawn the conclusions about your family. In the future, you may find new supporting or conflicting information that will alter the theory, but you have a proof summary to review and make necessary adjustments. All proven genealogical conclusions are subject to re-evaluation if new evidence is discovered or an error in reasoning can be demonstrated.
