Beginning Lesson #18 RESEARCH LOGS After nearly four months of genealogy research, you are beginning to feel the confusion that typically befuddles family historians. You realize now you are working on more than one surname at a time. While waiting for results on letters you've written to family members, you are ordering microfilms, and getting copies of vital records from state or county authorities. Switching gears between projects is beginning to get a little difficult. To remedy the situation, it is advisable to begin keeping both a research log, and a pre-printed checklist of things you might consider doing in the future. We'll talk about the first one this week and tackle the checklist in next week's lesson! PURPOSE: To readily advise the family historian of the current status of research on a particular individual on his family tree. This sounds crazy, but sometimes it takes 6-8 months to get a reply from a letter. By then a lot of water has gone under the bridge. My memory is pretty good, but its easy to get confused about the particulars when so much time passes! A glance at the research log puts one back on track. FORMAT: There are pre-printed research log forms produced by Bill Dollarhide (Managing a Genealogy Research Project), Everton Publishers, the LDS Family History Library and in most beginning genealogy guidebooks. You can also make your own using your wordprocessing program. Print out lots of blank forms, enough for each person on your pedigree chart you need to research further. Basically you'll need the following information at the top of the page: SURNAME: GIVEN NAME: BIRTH DATE: LOCALITY: OBJECTIVES: Then you can have spaces or columns below this to list each type of research you are doing, the date and results of your work. One of my forms looks like this: FROMAN, PAUL born 1705, died 1783 GOAL: To determine/prove service in the Revolutionary War, for my DAR Application. _______________________________________________________________ DATE: 10/18/95 SOURCE: Orlando Public Library - HISTORICAL REGISTER OF VIRGINIANS IN THE REVOLUTION by John H. Gwathmey 1938, reprint 1975. Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore. FINDINGS: Index listing for Paul Froman, Captain at Fort Nelson in 1791 T-DV1P422. (The abbreviation key states that "T" denotes that the material is to be found in the Virginia State Library under George Rogers Clark Manuscript, photocopied, bound and indexed. Serial D Volume 1 Page 422.) NEXT STEP: Contact friend Audrey, to obtain copy of record when she goes to the Virginia State Library. _______________________________________________________________ DATE: 1/23/96 SOURCE: Tampa Public Library - Index to Revoltionary War Service, transcribed by Virgil D. White. National Historical Publishing Company, Waynesboro, Tennessee 1992. FINDINGS: Our ancestor, Paul Froman not mentioned. However, other unknown Fromans are listed. NEXT STEP: When at the National Archives in May 1997, obtain copies of the service records for Alexander, Bartholomew, Elijah, Ephriam, Henry, John, and Temple Froman to learn more of the Fromans. _______________________________________________________________ DATE: 3/04/96 SOURCE: Bradenton LDS FHCenter - Microfilm # (forgot to write the number!) - Will Book A, Lincoln County Kentucky, Page 46. FINDINGS: Paul Froman will lists Elizabeth as wife and children, including our known ancestor, Jacob Froman. NEXT STEP: File in Froman notebook as proof of relationship father to son.