Using Research Logs

There are many way to keep research logs for any topic. The most common way of keeping research logs in genealogy is by person. Here are some links to research logs that you can find online.

• Printable Research Log - FamilySearch Wiki
• Free Genealogy Forms - lots of links to forms available online
• Research Trackers and Organizers - Family Tree Magazine

Here is a great article about research logs: Research Logs Genealogy - FamilySearch Wiki. I even learned some mistakes I was making in my own Research Log.

My problem with the types of research logs above is that they focus on one person at a time, and I don’t research that way. My research tends to be more organic. I start with a question, then follow the records and record the facts later. So, I keep a journal-style research log.

As I’m researching, I record what I’m looking up, what I found, and what questions come to mind or what facts I still need to find. Then, when I sit down with my research again, I can use my questions as starting places. I use a composition book for Bullet Journal style notes, so I can identify the tasks easily.

I have always preferred hand-written notes, but Evernote is a great tool for keeping this process digitally. The notes are tagable, searchable, and accessible from multiple devices.

Whichever tool I use, when I finish my research session, I review my notes and copy them into Legacy so I have a run down of everything I have done for a person. I don’t copy everything - just the information I found for a person.

I have tried using Legacy for research logging as recommended by many top researchers, but I just don’t connect with digital notes. For some reason, I have to write things down.