Research Log[ic]: Creating an Organized Genealogy Research Log

"Two years ago, I signed up with an online genealogy service to explore several branches of my family tree. Pretty soon, I had hundreds of pages of printouts, lists, and narratives that were impossible to verify because of conflicting dates, names, and even places of residence. I tried making lists, then spreadsheets, of what appeared to make sense. New roadblocks popped up at every turn. Finally, I concluded that my two-year quest had become nothing more than a frustrating guessing game that resulted in a blizzard of useless paper that is impossible to organize.

I had read that the best genealogy research tool was a Research Log, but I had no understanding of its value, let alone how to create a proper one. Fortunately, Caroline’s new Research LOG[IC] online course clarifies both issues and does so definitively. What’s more, she shows how to create a successful log through a remarkably efficient online platform. Best of all, she has built a template that you can quickly adapt to your specific research purpose. That benefit alone is more than half the battle: All that paper goes away, and what she directs you to put in the log is information you can trust through a process of organizational consistency. Through her system, you will never lose time by doing the same work over and over again, and when you have time to devote to research, you’ll know exactly where you left off and what you should do next. That’s the very definition of focus.

Thank you, Caroline!"