Out on a Limb: Time to create a research log

One of the best new year’s resolutions a genealogist can make is “I will create a research log,” if they don’t already have one.

Basically, a log is an ongoing record of where your material came from, what is in your sources and what you still have to find. But the systems that people use are varied. So, how do you get started with a good log or perhaps improve your existing method?

As with other areas of our favorite pastime, there are online videos (fairly short ones) in which genealogists offer tips and discuss their own systems. If you are a subscriber to “Family Tree Magazine,” you will get on their e-mail list and receive articles on this and other topics.

There are programs that can help. But there’s also nothing wrong with keeping things simple by typing and printing something out or setting pen to paper in a notebook.

The important thing in every research session is to keep track of what you are doing (and what you have done) and – this is important – indicate what you still need so it’s easier to pick up where you’ve left off and make every research session as productive as possible.

A good log, Family Tree points out, should also clearly list your sources of information. Such a list will enable us to return quickly to a source we must revisit, saving valuable time.

With some work, 2024 could turn out to be a genealogist’s most productive year ever.

DNA testing: With DNA test kits having become popular Christmas gifts for genealogists, let me repeat my usual cautions. First, the testing labs that analyze the results sent in can face their busiest times of the year in the weeks and months after Christmas. That is why people eager to see their results can experience longer wait times than usual.

Also, if you are giving a test kit as a gift (or just buying one for yourself), remember that the kits have different goals and the companies have different policies. Do you want a kit that tests for complete DNA or one that separates out the mother’s or father’s line? How about a kit that offers regular updates with new matches (cousins) who can be contacted to establish a working relationship? Updates can also include deeper analysis and additional results as time goes on.

Of course, when you buy a kit for a fellow genealogist, you would do well to find out what that person’s preferences are. Perhaps they’ve already taken a test and would welcome one that takes a different tack.

In that case, what is the gift giver to do? Best advice is to know the gift recipient well. True, asking for their preferences would spoil any surprise. But the needed test is still best.

Do some research by reading up on what is new in DNA testing. Search print and online for articles and videos on DNA testing. Learning the names of the companies that now do DNA testing enables you to check out their websites for their latest offerings and discover what’s what in the available tests.

As aways, remember that a DNA test tells you where other people with DNA comparable to your own live today or have lived in the past and can connect you with modern-day cousins.

Bottom line is that the test can direct the genealogist’s research to the most profitable areas and clear up misconceptions that often creep into family stories. Now, there’s a practical gift.

Tom Mooney is a Times Leader genealogy writer. Reach him at tommooney42@gmail.com.