===================================================================== "AVOIDING DOUBLE DUPLICATE RESEARCH" George G. Morgan: "Along Those Lines . . ." ===================================================================== Drat--I did it again. You'd think that I would know better, but I went off to the library unprepared a few weeks ago. I took only my notebook and some random notes about two individuals of the BALL surname with me. What I failed to take with me was my Research Log for that surname and, as usual, I wasted my time and money researching and copying from a book I'd already photocopied from-- twice before! In this week's "Along Those Lines . . ." column, let's discover how to avoid this kind of duplication--or double duplication--and examine a method to help keep track of what we've already researched. HOW EMBARRASSING I seem to do things three times. Don't ask me why, I just do. There's one book about state census records that I've bought for myself, not once but three times. You'd have thought I would remember the cover and the contents since I'd read it from cover to cover the first time and referred to it on several occasions. Nevertheless, whenever I visit a bookstore, I always look for new genealogy-related books. Seeing what I thought was another great resource on the topic, I strode to the checkout desk and bought the book. When I arrived home, I was dismayed to realize I'd bought a duplicate. "Oh well," I said. "I have a friend who would love the book." And that's how the book became a birthday gift. Six months later, at another bookstore in another town, I purchased the same book again. When I got home this time and discovered my error, I was really embarrassed and felt very stupid indeed. And yes, another friend (not the same one) got a copy of the book as a Christmas present. This embarrassing and costly error underlined for me the need to keep track of what books I've already purchased. As a result, I spent a few hours one evening writing bibliographic citations for each book in my collection using my word processor. I've been using a Sony Clie handheld personal digital assistant (PDA) for a couple of years now, and a program on it called "Word To-Go" allows me to download Microsoft Word documents to the PDA. I now have a handy reference list available on the PDA, which I can check when I visit bookstores to make certain I won't duplicate my book purchases again. AVOIDING DUPLICATE RESEARCH For many years I have been using Research Calendar forms to keep track of my research. If I unfailingly record the information on these log sheets, it helps prevent me from duplicating my research efforts. The Ancestry.com Research Calendar is just one of the free genealogy forms you can find under the Family Trees tab on Ancestry.com. (A direct link to access the form can be found at: http://www.ancestry.com/save/charts/researchcal.htm) What I personally do is maintain a Research Calendar form for at least a family surname. In some cases, because I am performing intensive research on a specific individual, I have created and maintained a separate collection of these forms for that person. If you examine the Ancestry Research Calendar form, you'll see there are a number of columns you might use. Let's briefly discuss how to use them. DATE--Enter the date on which you performed research using each resource you list on the form. REPOSITORY--In this column, enter the name of the place where you accessed the information. This might be a library, archive, courthouse, or another location. The column also has a label for call number or microfilm number. It is always helpful when you're retracing your research steps to know exactly where to locate the particular record(s) you discovered. The call number is the Dewey Decimal Classification (in public libraries) or the Library of Congress Classification (in most academic libraries) under which the resource is filed. If you are using microfilm or microfiche, enter the number associated with that resource, including the reel number on the film or the page number of the fiche. The name of the repository is essential, especially when you have accessed unique, rare, or one-of-a-kind materials, but it also helps you avoid researching the same materials in a repository you visit on multiple occasions. DESCRIPTION OF SOURCE--In this column, you should enter a description that is as complete as possible. For example, if I were entering material on a book, I would note the bibliographic citation information such as in the following: Wright, Stuart T., "Historical Sketch of Person County." Danville, Va.: Womack Press, 1974. If I access documents at a courthouse, I would enter a citation such as the following: Georgia, Floyd County. Probate Court Office, Rome. Probate file #676 (Recorded Book J, Page 476), 1962, Anna Lorena Holder. NOTE: It helps to memorize the citation formats for the most common materials you will use so that you know all the information you will likely need to record. Elizabeth Shown Mills' book, "Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian," is the definitive reference book for writing citations of all types of materials. TIME PERIOD/NAMES SEARCHED--In this column, you can note the names of the persons whose information you were researching as well as the time period in which you were researching. I initially started using the Research Calendar form without entering the time period and ultimately regretted that I had not. This information helps me to recognize what historical period the contents include, and I will use this reference when I begin searching for other family members' records. This simple notation can, at a glance, give me a pointer to specific resources that might contain the informational treasures I seek. RESULTS--The last column is used to indicate briefly what you found, or didn't find. You definitely want to record every resource you have checked on the Research Calendar, regardless of your results. In genealogy, we all learn that sometimes it isn't what you do find, but what you don't find that may speak volumes. By indicating what your research results were for every source, you will be creating a reference that prevents you from looking at a source more than once. CREATING AN ELECTRONIC RESEARCH CALENDAR I know some people who have created their own versions of the Research Calendar in a spreadsheet program. While this requires a lot of data entry upfront to produce, if you design it well in the beginning and define columns for name, date, repository, etc., you can then use your spreadsheet program to sort the data by each of these fields. As an example, you might sort an entire Research Calendar spreadsheet by surname and given name, and that would allow you to group all the resources you've researched for that individual together. Another possible sort might be first by repository, and then by source. This would group all the resources of a particular library together, for instance, so that you know what you have already researched and so you can avoid duplication. SUMMARY My double duplicate research isn't part of my increasing number of "senior moments," I'm sure. It is a result of my enthusiasm for the research and my hunger for new materials. However, I really would rather spend my time and money in working with new materials rather than covering old territory again and again. You'll find that by using the Research Calendar approach and investing time and discipline in recording the information, you will actually save time and money and become a more effective researcher. Happy Hunting, George Copyright 1998-2003, MyFamily.com, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Reprinted by permission from the "Ancestry Daily News" and George Morgan.