Organizing Information

As you gather information on your family, you will want to record it in some way.

You will print out or make copies of the information you find and make scans or collect images in digital form. As you collect this information, you will use standard tools to record the data more easily.

Almost all genealogists use the computer to store and retrieve the information they have gathered. Numerous computer software programs have been developed.

As prevalent as computers are in today's world, manual methods of organization can still be useful for dealing with the piles of paper you have gathered. Expect paper to accumulate, and find a way to deal with it!

Preserving precious family artifacts such as paper documents and photographs is important and worthwhile, but must be done in an appropriate way to ensure their safekeeping for future generations.

And finally, as you organize your data, you must keep track of the sources you consult.