Research Log

THESE ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. I know that it seems like the last thing you want to do, but if you want to ensure that others (or maybe even yourself) to not repeat the exact same work that you spent so much time on, you need to keep a record of your research - including the failures with the successes. You will be doing everyone a favor!

A research log is basically just a list of the source you searched and the dates you searched them, or plan to search for each objective, ancestor or family. It usually includes notes about what you found (or didn’t find). Most logs are kept in the order that records are selected or searches are made, but that is mostly dependent on personal preference. 

Most researchers prefer to keep it simple with a set of research logs for each seperate family they research. There are different formats you can use. There are plenty of Research Logs you can print out, or you can simply make your own template on Microsoft Word or a similar program. 

A research log is crucial to successful research. It will help you:

• Keep your research organized.
• Keep your research focused on one objective for one individual at a time.
• Avoid duplicating searches of sources without good reason.
• Easily review and share search strategies with other interested searchers.
• Document the facts found during research.
• Record information about the records you searched in an orderly manner.
• Identify what is found or not found for each objective.
• Locate a record that was searched earlier if you need to check it again.

Effective research logs will include:

• Ancestor's name
• Research objective(s)
• Date of search
• Location and call number of the sources searched
• Description of the sources, including complete information on author, title, and year
• Comments, such as the purpose and results of the search and the years and names searched

You may also use your research log to identify:

• Your document number or reference to findings
• Quality of the source (if indexed, legible, language, etc.)
• The place where the person you are searching lived 

(Family Search Wiki)