Document and Back-up Your Research
- You Won't Regret it!
Researching your family history is like telling a story backwards. Most stories start at the beginning and then have a middle and an end. But my first rule of genealogy is to start with the end (which is you) and go methodically towards the beginning (which is your earliest known ancestor).
The only way to achieve accurate and satisfying results is to keep meticulous records, check everything over and over again, get proof for every statement of fact, dig deep and be creative. Oh, and keep a backup of everything - you won't regret it.
To be accurate, of course, you must have a way of recording the information you already have and the information you are going to find. I use a software program called Family Tree Maker which allows me to add names, dates, places and other facts. Like most genealogy software programs, it also allows me to create reports and charts which are great for displaying your information.
Researching can be fun and finding out new information about your ancestors is truly addicting. However, try not to get tempted by too much research and not enough record keeping. It is frustrating when you know the fact you're looking for is actually in a three-foot high pile of paper. Much simpler to have entered the information into your software as you go.
A simple way to keep hard copies of your records is four large loose-leaf binders. I have one for each grandparent and their ancestors. For example, say I order and receive a birth certificate for my great-uncle Paddy Matthews. I scan it into my computer and immediately email it to my fellow researcher and cousin in England. That way, not only do I have a far away back up of this primary document, I also share my information with someone who needs it.
Then, I make careful notes about what I find on the certificate. Names, spelling variations, maiden name of mother, occupation of father, place and date of birth and address of the informant. I store the official copy of the birth certificate in my binder for the Matthews line. Eventually, I generate a report on the family and send that document to my cousin in England. She gets to read what I've been researching, and she may find that useful, plus I've backed up my research. Then, I print out two hard copies of the report. One goes in the binder and another goes in the mail to another cousin.
At the end of every month I do another computer backup. I make a GEDCOM (a way to share genealogy information so that every family history software can read it) and send it via email to two cousins and my sister. Plus, I upload the same GEDCOM monthly to an on-line database I belong to. Then, at the same time, I back up to a CD-ROM, and mail it to my sister. I also keep a CD-ROM back up in my office at home.
Sounds obsessive doesn't it? I sort of thought so, too, until just two weeks ago and my computer crashed totally. I could only get onto it for about three minutes at a time, then it turned itself off. While I may have been able to get my data with the help of a computer tech, there was no guarantee of that. With more than 1,500 names in my database, plus all their relationships, connections, photos, certificates and all my notations, it would take me years to re-create the database.
Once I got my new computer up and running, I simply inserted my CD-ROM and copied what I needed. So my story did not end with me and the loss of all of my family records. My family's story can continue and I can feel relieved that my work, and my history, was not lost.
Susan Smith-Josephy is a family researcher living in Quesnel, British Columbia. She specializes in helping beginners get started on their family history and can be contacted at: smithjosephy@shaw.ca
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