A fascinating and fulfilling way to learn more about yourself and where you come from is genealogy.Keeping genealogy research organized can be a challenge, as it often results in piles of documents, letters, photographs, and transcripts.A binder is an excellent way to keep documents organized.Group your documents by generation, or order them by name, if you want to.
Step 1: You should start with a list of siblings and first cousins.
The most recent generation is this one.Add any siblings, step- or half-siblings, or cousins to your list.If you don't have any records on them yet, it's a good idea to make a place for them in case you need to reorganize later.If you include a younger generation, such as your own children, create a separate list for them as well.They will put their documents in the binder.
Step 2: List the parents, aunts, and uncles.
This is the generation of your parents.If you have records on them, you could include your parents, siblings, and cousins.As long as they are of the same generation, it is up to you who is included.
Step 3: Write down the names of any siblings.
Anyone of your grandparents' generation who you have records of can be included on this list.For the purpose of making charts or family trees, you may want to write down any names you know, even if you don't have records on them.If you have records of anyone other than your grandparents, make a separate list for them.
Step 4: Then age each list by family.
The first members on each list should be related to you in one way or another.Your parents would first be included, followed by your oldest aunt or uncle, then the next oldest, and so on.
Step 5: Next to their spouses are relatives.
If you include relatives by marriage in your research, make sure to put their file after that of their spouse.It is best not to combine spouses in one file, as you may end up finding more information later on.Put your relatives' files in chronological order if they have had more than one spouse.Next to your uncle's first wife would be his second wife.
Step 6: The generation groups should be placed in chronological order.
If you want to sort your generations in ascending order, you should start with the youngest generation.If you eventually find records on an older ancestor, you will have to reorganize, but you can start with the oldest known generation.If you want, you can give each generation a binder of their own, but you may find that some generations aren't big enough to fit in one binder.
Step 7: You can use colors or numbers to distinguish generation groups.
Adding a number to each file name can help you see which generation is which.If you decide to reorganize using a different system later on, it can be a good way to maintain order.If you have files on 3 generations, you could number the oldest one 1, the next one 2, and the youngest one 3.The number indicates which generation the file belongs to.If you think you will eventually add older or younger generations, color-coding may be a better system.Making the files for your grandparents generation green will make it easy to identify them.
Step 8: List all the family members you have records for.
It is not necessary to make space for any relatives you don't have information on yet, since it will be easy to insert them later.You should make a list of all the relatives that are related to you.
Step 9: The relatives are sorted by surname.
If you have a complete list of the relatives you are making files for, order them according to their surname.Clicking the "Sort" button on the Home tab makes it easy to type the names in a Word document.You might want to keep different surnames in different binders.
Step 10: If they are large, divide them by location.
It is helpful to create subcategories of relatives that share a surname and a location if you have research on several branches of your family.You can keep each location group in a separate binder, but you may find that you don't have enough information on each group to fill a whole binder.
Step 11: The first name of each subgroup should be ordered.
You can sort your relatives' files by their first name if you divide them into surname groups.You can go to "the Nebraska Davidsons" and look for "Zachary" under Z if you want to look up a specific family member.
Step 12: You should note each relative's relation to you on their file.
It is helpful to remind yourself of how everyone fits into the family tree if you are keeping track of a large family.You can make a chart for each branch of the family if you note how related they are to you on their file.
Step 13: There are plastic pockets on the front and spine of the binders.
These are usually found in school supply stores.You can use a cover page and spine label to fit in the plastic pockets, which will help you identify the folder even when it is on a shelf or in a box.If you have large documents, you may want to purchase a larger binder to fit them in.Measure your documents to make sure you buy the right size.
Step 14: Store your documents in plastic sheet protectors.
You should never hole punch your documents or store them in binders without sheet protectors, even if you are using a photocopy.They will become worn over time from being touched and exposed to light.Purchase 3-holed plastic sheet protectors that are labeled archival-safe.Tyvek plastic is considered archival-safe.If you are unsure, choose something that is clearly marked as archival-safe on the product label.
Step 15: The sheet protectors should be labeled with information about the document inside.
It is a good idea to write down any important information about each document, such as who it is about, what type of document they are, and when and where it came from.Don't put the label on the document itself, put it in a lower corner of the sheet protectors.
Step 16: Copies of photographs and original documents can be made.
Photographs, certificates, newspaper clippings, and letters should be photocopied with the originals.If you want to keep your documents safe, leave them in an archival-safe box and put the photocopies in your binders.
Step 17: The humidity is 50% and the temperature is 21C.
Paper and photographs can degrade over time.In the summertime, storing binders in an attic or basement can become very damp and hot.Don't keep them in a place that is warm and dry year-round.
Step 18: Store important documents on a hard drive.
Digital copies of your important files are the best way to be safe.You can save lists or charts on the computer, and use your scanner to make digital files out of other important items.If possible, save these files to your computer's hard drive or aremovable drive.It's a good idea to write up a "key" as well with information about each digital file, and save it in the same location.