How often have you tried to find some information or your family history research notes and you just cannot remember where you put them?
Perhaps it was some notes you made last time you were at the archives? Or a valuable piece of evidence that would support a conclusion in your family history? Or perhaps it was an outline of a story that you plan to write?
You gather huge amounts of information when researching family history. You need a system to manage that information so that it is available when you need it.
What are family history research notes?
When we research family history, we put a lot of effort into entering information into a family tree and writing up stories. Behind the scenes we also do a lot of other writing. This other writing is what I call research notes.
See the previous posts:
(Lautrec, The Good Genealogist, 2022)
You need a notes management system
A notes management system for your family history research notes improves the organisation of all your writing and documentation. But it is not just about organising your files. It is also about the tools that you use, and having an efficient and effective workflow.
A notes management system will turn your scrappy notes into a valuable resource to add to your family history.
An ideal notes management system:
- is accessible, whether you are working online or offline
- helps you find your notes quickly
- helps you use your notes to answer research questions, write papers and stories, and progress projects
- helps you connect ideas and notice patterns
- connects related notes to each other and connects notes to the information in your family tree
- is as simple as possible, so that you will implement it
- adds value and is not a time-waster.
The system you choose will depend on how you like to work and the software tools that you have.
Family history research notes on paper
There are downsides to taking notes on paper. Notes on paper are not easily searchable and they are easily damaged or lost. Scraps of paper do not encourage a systematic approach to research.
However, I find that I often have my best thoughts when I do not have access to a computer – when I am driving, walking, relaxing in the backyard, or just as I am waking up. Writing by hand can aid comprehension. Sometimes it is the only way that my brain can work through a problem!
So, I do actually make a lot of notes on paper. I also highlight sections in a book or on a photocopy of a source, and I make notes in the margins! Sometimes I even use post it notes! I am sure that I am not the only one.
There are also some well-known note-taking systems that use index cards and this was a common approach in family history before personal computers.
So the key is, if you use paper, how do you get it into a notes management system?
Organising paper research notes
If you take research notes on paper, you must then take it to step 2 in the workflow diagram above. Capture those notes and organise them in your notes management system.
Four ideas for capturing paper research notes
Take a photo:
When I was being interviewed by Cassie and Shaun Gilmartin for The Family History Book, they told me that their favourite method was to take a photo or scan of their notes. If you use this method, make sure you have a process for transferring them to the relevant folder on your computer or attaching them to your family tree.
Use a journal:
Journals are not just for diaries and artwork. I write research notes in my journal. If I do end up with a note on a scrap of paper or post it note, I stick them into the journal.
I tried organising my journal into sections by topic but it was not very effective. So now I simply write a few key words in the top left corner of the page that indicate the subject of that page.
I put my journals into a tray next to my computer at the end of the day. As I transfer the notes on a page to their rightful place (such as my family history software), I put a tick in the top right corner so that I know that page has been dealt with.
Use folders:
Many genealogists like to have ring-binder folders for groups of ancestors. If you use this method, you need to be conscientious about putting your notes into the right folder. You also need to set up the folders in a way that makes the information retrievable.
Use templates:
Paper research notes can be standardised and organised using forms and templates. Popular examples are family group sheets, family tree charts and census research forms. Templates improve the useability of the folder system.
Research notes in an online family tree or family history software
Placing research notes in an online family tree or family history software connects your notes to the relevant person and associated information. This has a number of benefits:
- a family tree or family history software provides an organisational structure for your research notes, which makes them easier to retrieve and apply
- your family tree or software provides context for your research notes, which aids interpretation
- your research notes provide context for the information in your family tree or software and can be used to explain or elaborate on that information
- combining information and research notes in the same place makes it easier to conduct further research.
The notes fields are located on the profiles of individuals or an event. However, not all research notes are specific to an individual or an event, so they need to be stored elsewhere.
Organising research notes in a family tree or software
You need to add research notes to your online tree or family history software in a systematic manner. Messy digital notes are as useless as notes on scraps of paper.
You can provide structure to your notes by using standard headings. Information can be slotted under these headings at different times, from different sources.
The headings you use will depend on the topics you make notes about. I find it useful to have these headings: birth, death, marriage, names, immigration, research questions, inconsistencies and research leads.
After you solve a research problem, you can tidy up your research notes and keep them as an evidence summary.
Family history research notes stored on your computer
Storing research notes on your computer gives you more flexibility in the way you organise and manage your notes. You are not limited to putting notes on a specific individual or event. You can group your notes any way that you like, using a folder system or a file naming system.
Organising your computer research notes
To make good use of your research notes, you need to connect them to related notes and to the information in your family tree. You could achieve this by implementing a folder structure that mirrors your family tree.
I have three main folders on my computer – Names, Places and Themes.
Within the Names folder I have a folder for each grandparent line. Within those folders I have sub-folders for each surname and within those I have sub-folders for each family group.
My Places folder is divided by country and my Themes folder is divided by topics, such as convicts, mining and migration.
If you are not always good at filing notes exactly where they belong as you create them, you may need an inbox. An inbox keeps your notes together in one place until you have time to deal with them. At that time, you can review them and move them into their correct folder.
Research plan or log
Placing family history research notes in a research plan or research log connects your notes to the subject of the plan, your research questions and tasks. This has similar benefits to placing your notes in a family tree or software.
If you use this method, you need a process to extract information from your research plan or log into your online family tree or family history software. I keep track of this step using a column in my research plan. I tick off each row after I finish analysing the information and update my tree.
Note taking apps
Note taking apps are digital tools that help you store, organise and access your notes. Many are cloud-based, which means they can be used on multiple devices whenever you have internet access. They can also be linked to an online family tree, using hyperlinks.
Take a look at my articles about the app, Notion.
More information
Read more about improving the quality of your family history in my book, The Good Genealogist.
Post last updated 30 April 2025
