Peter J Seymour wrote: > One form of output available from Gendatam Suite is index cards. Simple > enough so far. However, a problem is how to restrict data, even summary > data, so that it does not overflow. I have not used index cards in > practice (at least not in genealogy) so I have a question for anyone who > has: What do you do when the card fills up? Do you just squash on a bit > more, do you go over to the back or do you go to a continuation card, or > even some combination of these. I would be interested to hear of > experience of this. > Peter People I know/knew who use/used the index-card system put one fact per 3x5 card. These days, apparently, that should be written put one piece of evidence per card. As in: CRESAP, Thomas (1) Entrydate: ..... FACT: ..... SOURCE: ..... Where line one represents the name of the person mentioned in the fact and the associated (ID #) and the date the card was created. A blank space is left to make the file-clerk's life easier, then the fact/evidence is recorded baldly on line 3 and the source of the fact/evidence is on the next line. One of them puts the repository and its contact info on the back of the card. All the cards about CRESAP, Thomas (1) are filed in one segment. Critical thinking/data analysis occurs when they are all taken out and arranged in various orders. Some transfer conclusions to a card of a different color; and some then discard all the others. Eventually you end up with a yellow card that says CRESAP, Thomas (1) bapt when, where marr when, where, to whom died when, where ISSUE: listed with (ID #) Cheryl

singhals wrote: > Peter J Seymour wrote: > >> One form of output available from Gendatam Suite is index cards. >> Simple enough so far. However, a problem is how to restrict data, even >> summary data, so that it does not overflow. I have not used index >> cards in practice (at least not in genealogy) so I have a question for >> anyone who has: What do you do when the card fills up? Do you just >> squash on a bit more, do you go over to the back or do you go to a >> continuation card, or even some combination of these. I would be >> interested to hear of experience of this. >> Peter > > > > People I know/knew who use/used the index-card system put one fact per > 3x5 card. These days, apparently, that should be written put one piece > of evidence per card. As in: > > CRESAP, Thomas (1) Entrydate: ..... > > FACT: ..... > SOURCE: ..... > > > > > Where line one represents the name of the person mentioned in the fact > and the associated (ID #) and the date the card was created. A blank > space is left to make the file-clerk's life easier, then the > fact/evidence is recorded baldly on line 3 and the source of the > fact/evidence is on the next line. > > One of them puts the repository and its contact info on the back of the > card. > > All the cards about CRESAP, Thomas (1) are filed in one segment. > Critical thinking/data analysis occurs when they are all taken out and > arranged in various orders. > > Some transfer conclusions to a card of a different color; and some then > discard all the others. > > Eventually you end up with a yellow card that says > > CRESAP, Thomas (1) > bapt when, where > marr when, where, to whom > died when, where > ISSUE: listed with (ID #) > > > Cheryl > Thanks, that makes sense. The point seems to be not to try and put too much on a card. Peter