Posted on Tuesday, 4th May 2010 by Christopher Allen

Looking into the history of an historic piece of property should be incredibly fun. But that amusement can definitely revolve to frustration if you lose trail of your research materials. Before you move too far into the research of your house, conclude how you will organize the facts you achieve. There is nothing more irritating than struggling to find an old scrap piece of paper that you recognize you took notes on – unless it is going over ground that you have previously enclosed because you can’t reminisce which sources you have looked at in the past. Because most of us will do our research over a period of months, or even years, it is ridiculous to recollect what has been completed without an organized file.

In a research, it is most advantageous to utilize a three ring binder, with dividers segregating the various sources of research i.e., directories, title searches, correspondence, etc. I completed all of my observations on 8 1/2 ” x 11″ sheets of paper, which might then be easily inserted into the appropriate portion of the binder. Writings on small scraps of paper likely to get missing. Photocopies made for the duration of the search procedure will also be this size, making everything unfailing and trouble-free to file.

Take notes information in a log as soon as you get it and write down, in detail, where and when a search was completed. Keep track of everything you see, even those items that enclose no positive information. Record the foundation by author and title, or the profile number if that is how the institution listed it. Also keep a record any contacts you make, whether by letter, phone or in person. Keeping a log can also assist you plan upcoming trips too. You can record the sources you wish to review when you go to the library, courthouse, etc. and note the call or microfilm information so you save time when you are at the repository.

Keep a study record for all of your on-line research as well. Again, you don’t want to persevere with revisiting web sites you have previously checked in the past.

Organize your research tasks in an useful and logical way. Determine what you need to know and where you can locate it. Make a list of specific tasks, noting where you need to go, to whom you need to talk, and what you expect to get, and the order in which you intend to proceed. You can modify this list as you continue with your investigation.

As you launch to store up photographs, documents and newspaper trimmings, make sure that all of your copies are created on archival-quality paper. All storage boxes and binder sleeves must be archival safe as well. Sooner than storing photos, check that you mark each one with a photo-safe marking pencil, noting the date, location and any topics in the photo.

By using this folder approach to organization, you will have all of your research in one manageable location. The consequence is that you can come back to your research days or even years afterward and give you the chance to pick up where you concluded.

Another great article by Water’s Edge Ottawa

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