Files...

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Liz_in_Calgary

Files...

Legg inn av Liz_in_Calgary » 02 aug 2006 06:11:45

My genealogy buddy and I were talking about how we file our
paper copiies of documents, notes and such. (It would be
nice to have it all on computer, but after a bunch of
crashes - its better to have the paper backup)

I started off by making file folders for all the last names
in the direct line - but some of those are empty - and then
there are some really fat files.

So, my question - how do you file your documents, emails,
notes, back up CD's, maps, etc? Color coded? big shoe box?
lateral filing cabinets, by name, by relationship number?
by family? How do you organize your research? I am sure
this has been asked before...

I am using a plastic box that holds hanging letter size file
folders. All photocopies from church books go into plastic
sleeves.

take care
Liz

Lesley Robertson

Re: Files...

Legg inn av Lesley Robertson » 02 aug 2006 10:16:47

"Liz_in_Calgary" <misnomer@shaw.ca> schreef in bericht
news:udc0d2p56ogbqlinq7r7dqt8pdtej42bnv@4ax.com...
My genealogy buddy and I were talking about how we file our
paper copiies of documents, notes and such. (It would be
nice to have it all on computer, but after a bunch of
crashes - its better to have the paper backup)

Too right. I've also had a couple of Cds refuse to load (one of them less
than a year old). I have just bought external hard drives from my work
archive and home, and everything I had on CD is now being also coied to
them, plus everything on my hard disc. Indeed, for the work archive, I
bought 2 external drives, one of which will be brought home for safe keeping
once I'm through backing everything up. I've always kept copies of important
CDs at home and work to make sure that important stuff is in 2 buildings in
case of fire or flood.
So, my question - how do you file your documents, emails,
notes, back up CD's, maps, etc? Color coded? big shoe box?
lateral filing cabinets, by name, by relationship number?
by family? How do you organize your research? I am sure
this has been asked before...

I've got all my stuff in loose leaf files, sorted by generation and counting
myself as generation 0. Withing a generation's section, the front page for
each couple is a simple (just BMD dates) 3-generation tree showing the
couple with their parents and children. These files contain printed scans of
any photos - the originals are in acid-free folders in an acid-free archive
box, sorted by my 4 grandparents surnames.

I am using a plastic box that holds hanging letter size file
folders. All photocopies from church books go into plastic
sleeves.

Good system. There's probably as many different ways as there are
researchers.
Lesley Robertson

Steve Hayes

Re: Files...

Legg inn av Steve Hayes » 02 aug 2006 11:20:09

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 05:11:45 GMT, Liz_in_Calgary <misnomer@shaw.ca> wrote:

My genealogy buddy and I were talking about how we file our
paper copiies of documents, notes and such. (It would be
nice to have it all on computer, but after a bunch of
crashes - its better to have the paper backup)

I started off by making file folders for all the last names
in the direct line - but some of those are empty - and then
there are some really fat files.

So, my question - how do you file your documents, emails,
notes, back up CD's, maps, etc? Color coded? big shoe box?
lateral filing cabinets, by name, by relationship number?
by family? How do you organize your research? I am sure
this has been asked before...

It has, many times.

I file all documents, if possible, in lever arch files, and number them
consecutively.

Then I catalogue and index them using the PAF Research Data Filer program.


--
Steve Hayes
E-mail: hayesmstw@hotmail.com (see web page if it doesn't work)
Web: http://people.tribe.net/hayesstw
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7783/

cecilia

Re: Files...

Legg inn av cecilia » 02 aug 2006 13:02:49

Liz_in_Calgary wrote:
[...]
So, my question - how do you file your documents, emails,
notes, back up CD's, maps, etc? Color coded? big shoe box?
lateral filing cabinets, by name, by relationship number?
by family? How do you organize your research? [...]

The important thing is to know what you have, and be able to find it.

So an index referring to location is vital.

It may be convenient for retreival if stuff you are likely to want at
the same time is filed in the same location, but not totally
necessary. With a good index, you could file in document acquisition
order, and still find everything.

anna

Re: Files...

Legg inn av anna » 02 aug 2006 16:02:22

I use loose leaf notebooks and archival sleeves for copies of
documents. I use file folders for notes, downloaded info, etc. I feel
that when I get the "proof" for those notes, I will then throw the
notes away.

I also usually make notes as to where I am in my research on the Notes
page of FTM.

Anna

Liz_in_Calgary wrote:
My genealogy buddy and I were talking about how we file our
paper copiies of documents, notes and such. (It would be
nice to have it all on computer, but after a bunch of
crashes - its better to have the paper backup)

I started off by making file folders for all the last names
in the direct line - but some of those are empty - and then
there are some really fat files.

So, my question - how do you file your documents, emails,
notes, back up CD's, maps, etc? Color coded? big shoe box?
lateral filing cabinets, by name, by relationship number?
by family? How do you organize your research? I am sure
this has been asked before...

I am using a plastic box that holds hanging letter size file
folders. All photocopies from church books go into plastic
sleeves.

take care
Liz

Mark

Re: Files...

Legg inn av Mark » 02 aug 2006 22:53:15

Ahh... the never ending problem of keeping track of things. All of my
paper documents are scanned in and stored on two separate hard drives,
one which is removable so I can pull it if needed (hurricanes and
such) and the other is an external HDD. My hard drives structure
matches my filling cabinet. Works pretty well for us... We have also
started storing all of our electronic files online in a password
protected portion of our web site.

Mark
http://www.nicholasfamilyhistory.com

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 05:11:45 GMT, Liz_in_Calgary <misnomer@shaw.ca>
wrote:

My genealogy buddy and I were talking about how we file our
paper copiies of documents, notes and such. (It would be
nice to have it all on computer, but after a bunch of
crashes - its better to have the paper backup)

I started off by making file folders for all the last names
in the direct line - but some of those are empty - and then
there are some really fat files.

So, my question - how do you file your documents, emails,
notes, back up CD's, maps, etc? Color coded? big shoe box?
lateral filing cabinets, by name, by relationship number?
by family? How do you organize your research? I am sure
this has been asked before...

I am using a plastic box that holds hanging letter size file
folders. All photocopies from church books go into plastic
sleeves.

take care
Liz

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