Using Charts to Follow Your Progress

Our meeting group was small but we covered the use of charts to help follow your sources when doing genealogy.

Having brought a folder with many forms in to share we had 5 people with out the chart to keep track of the internet research we do.  Yes, we do internet searches, whether we are home or at the Library using their sources, most of us do Internet Research.

Want to say, there are places yet in this great United States that Internet is still not available and otherwise prohibitive to access. We need to be careful how fast we go and not leave those without Internet service behind in our talks and presentations.

Yes, I have found many places in the USofA that the cost is beyond the means.  Mostly in communities away from large cities but it happens there also.

So for those whom do use the Internet one needs to document those sources just like a book, Census, and other data we locate, not on line.

There are a few good forms to use, or you can create your own.  My preference is a Spiral, 3 hole capable binder, Staples, Home Depot have them.  If it has three hole punched, it can be in your working binder when your at a repository. Then you do not go off and leave it at a table.

Using the form that Randall Seaver created in 2003, transferring that data to the front page of my binder, I can follow the formula he has given.  He passed these forms out at a meeting back then.

Randy lists the places for research, names and locations, and follows up with a results column.

It has been very helpful to have this information when doing research at ones finger tips.

He labeled it (Internet Research Summary).

You can make your own but you should include this information, I also include in mine, what repository I was at and the date of the collecting.

The results column is the one you must record accurately  to know what book, page, full name and do not miss the little things.

Do you use an Internet Research Summary?  If your reading this you probably are doing Internet Research.

Please share your methods for keeping track, for it may help others.