FINALLY Get Organized! March Checklists

FINALLY Get Organized! 28th Feb-5th Mar Checklist

1. Let's take this week to tell one family history story per day, just for the fun of it!
One story per day, I usually do one story every few weeks! Don’t think I can increase the pace and keep up my research, but this has given me an idea that’s working like a treat. I’ve asked my husband to write a paragraph about a small story that he remembers about his father. He usually writes the paragraph at work and sends one to me each day. It has resulted in lots of questions and conversations. Nothing like sharing the work load!
2. Mix it up a little. Anyone can write an email, but is that what will really make the "younger set" get excited about the family stories you've collected?
Still working on the scrapbook to hold all the photos and put them in an album, I hope to sit down with my mother-in-law once the photograph album is done and then record the conversation and stories as we go through it together. The kid’s love seeing the old photos of Nan an hearing the stories about how “out there” she was when she started wearing trousers. It was not the done thing in those days!
One of the pages that have sparked interest for the kids

FINALLY Get Organized! 6th-12th Mar Checklist

1. Enter the names as you know them for the wives of the first four generations
Done.
2. Enter the names as you know them for the wives of the first four generations
If I have them I always record them!
3. Gather with other local genealogists.
I am a member of the Genealogical Society of Victoria and members of assorted other groups and often meet with other researchers both informally and formally to discuss any issues and compare notes. Helps to keep me focused and new eyes often see things that I miss!
4. Join an interactive DearMYRTLE hangout.
I always watch the recordings and sometimes manage to catch the tail end or middle of a hangout. Love them

FINALLY Get Organized! 13th-19th Mar Checklist

Consider the differences between sources, information and evidence.

For the purposes of illustration I have chosen a record that I am struggling to analyse.
The Research question - Where was Thomas MANDERSON living after 1903 and before 1910?
The Record - Ancestry.com. Liverpool, England, Crew Lists 1861-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Crew lists. 387 CRE. Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool, England. Crew lists (fishing boats). 387 FIS. Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool, England. Year : 1907
Analysis of the Source Document
The informant was the Master of the ship.
This document is an original source with primary information as the Master of the ship was present on the ship and submitted the documentation to the Authorities on the day that the ship docked in Liverpool. The image that I accessed on Ancestry is a coloured copy of the entire original document including the pages that were left blank.
This source will form part of the body of evidence to support the notion that Thomas Manderson was not in Eaglehawk in between 1906 and 1912 with his wife.

Organize your thoughts, "current thinking"

Working Hypothesis
Lillian CRUMP had four children. Her two eldest were Doris Lillian and Myrtle May both born in Eaglehawk, Victoria in 1906 and 1907 consecutively. Both children were registered without a father with their mother’s name recorded as Lillian MANDERSON formerly CRUMP.[i] Her third child William Bassett was born in Dundas, Tasmania according to his military records, however no birth records have yet been located for him.[ii] Her last child Gladys Irene was born in 1912 in Eaglehawk Victoria and lists William BASSETT as the father. In 2012 Lillian and William BASSETT were living in Eaglehawk as a married couple after returning from Tasmania.[iii]
The only recorded marriage for Lillian CRUMP was to Thomas MANDERSON in May 1903 in Eaglehawk, Victoria.[iv] There are no recorded births for any children to the couple in either the Victoria, Tasmania or Western Australia. The father of all Lillian CRUMP’s children is thought to be William BASSETT. By 1907 Thomas MANDERSON had gone to sea and can be found on the “Empress of Britain” as a crew member, it is thought he may have eventually settled in America.[v]
29 working hypothesises/”current thinking” summaries to be done!

Vacation Planning

Oh I like this one. Mapping where people have lived and their street addresses, where they went to school or hospital all gives colour to the story. Visiting those places can be very powerful. I’ve come to realise that I collect the information but haven’t yet mapped it out pin pointed an exact locations.

More sorting needs to be done!
I often use my photos to highlight something that I recently research like a photo of the court house to show where the event took place like I did in this blogpost 
Adding a map would help show the distance between places and allow me to get a sense of whether they walked to church or court. Did they walk past a church of the same denomination to get to another? Did they live close to the trains or trams....... I often go on historical walking tours perhaps I should make up one of my own for my ancestors who lived in a particular area .... more ideas!!

I got very inspired by the #mycolorfulancestry meme, it helps me to identify places I might want to visit and map out my ancestors movements.

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Sources
[i] Victorian Birth Certificates 1906/2600-Eaglehawk for Doris Lillian MANDERSON and 1907/10233 Eaglehawk for Myrtle May- MANDERSON
[ii] NAA: B883, VX21203 William BASSETT
[iii] Australian Electoral Commission, Australia, Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980, vol. 1912: 4 (image 4 of 37), Lillian Bassett; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, "Division of Bendigo, Subdivision of Eaglehawk," Ancestry.com (Ancestry.com.au : accessed 21 Mar 2016); Victorian Birth Certificate 1912/19781 –Eaglehawk for Gladys Irene BASSETT
[iv] Victorian Marriage Certificate 1903/2358 Lillian CRUMP and Thomas MANDERSON
[v] 9.Entry for Thomas MANDERSON on the Empress of Britain; "Liverpool, England, Crew Lists 1861-1919;" Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool, England; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, "Crew lists (fishing boats). 387 FIS : 1907,"Ancestry.com (www.Ancestry.com : accessed 24 Mar 2016)

FINALLY Get Organized – February Checklist

FINALLY Get Organized! 31 Jan - 6 Feb 2016

1. Commence working on your mother's maiden name binder as follows:
I have begun this process however I have researched my female lines quite extensively and am not sure that I will merge their data with their their husband's file.


2. Collateral line - Siblings
The women in my lines are very colourful and well rounded, and their data my swallow up their husband's data doing neither justice.
For the moment I will stick with the suggested structure.  However as each woman introduces a new surname into the tree the become the first entry in a new folder this does give them a place of prominence that is not subsumed by marriage.  The children can go with the father with a note to where full details of the mother's life can be located.

3. Collateral lines with descendants. It's much easier to keep track of a brother or sister who marry and subsequently have children using your genealogy management program.
Agreed.  As I have gone sideways and down for quite a few of my families I will have to think carefully about how to file their documents and data - given the volume perhaps alphabetically is the best way to go.

FINALLY Get Organized! 7th-13th Feb 2016

1. Print out and study the synopsis of the GPS Genealogical Proof Standard
Done
2. Read the following blog posts, and view the embedded videos:
Done
3. Make research notes on your to-do list where you now realize your evidence is weak.
My greatest challenge - Need to think about how to do this and still not get side tracked

FINALLY Get Organized! 14th-20th Feb 2016

1. Rework the citations for documents and photos you've attached to the first four generations on your surname/maiden name individuals.
A work in progress

2. Refer to Citations available online at Elizabeth Shown Mills website.
https://www.evidenceexplained.com/content/sample-quickcheck-models
Done

3. Read ESM's Quick Lesson 22: What Citation Template Do I Use?
Done

4. Explore citation templates in your genealogy software of choice.
Over time I have accumulated many software tools in an effort help me to handle my documents and their citations. I made  a comparison I have made between the various tool I have access to. As we don’t really have censuses in Australia I opted to compare voter’s rolls to examine which type citation I preferred.  The comparison can be found here on at Exploring Citation Templates.


My favourite template is Legacy family tree which I will continue to use and refine.
I have also just watched the latest WACKY Wednesday - EvidentiaSoftware.com in which the Evidentia software designer Ed Thompson said that it was quite acceptable to cut and paste a preferred citation format from elsewhere (ie Legacy Family Tree), as citation formatting was not the focus of Evidentia. This is great news as now I will have consistency where ever I cite a particular document.

Watch sessions 3 and 4 of the What Does SHE Say? Study Group
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=VRvgeFQF6HE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWnpZMFP8DM
Done

FINALLY Get Organized! 21st-27th Feb Checklist

1. Add the names and compiled dates of birth, marriage and death for your 4 generations on your surname (if male) or maiden name (if female) in your genealogy management program
Done

2. If it takes more than one document to prove a point of fact about an ancestor's life, then attach the relevant documents
Mostly done

3. EXTRA CREDIT - Watch DearMYRTLE's The Written Conclusion Study Group (2015)
Done

Genealogy Go-Over Month 1, January 2016 - Done

 Work on organizing files, both digital and paper

As part of the Finally Getting Organised Challenge I have begun reorganizing both my paper and digital files.  My approach has changed from filing by document type to filing under surname by generation, and then by person. This approach has also helped to highlight what documents I might be missing.  To help keep track of everything I have started using an excel spreadsheet to record all the documents.  The excel spreadsheet was designed by one of the members of the Genealogy Do Over Facebook group, Charles Wheeler, and is based on a checklist of Australian Genealogical document sources.

Preparing to Research

I have found that trying to write up a creative non-fiction story about an ancestor it helps me to identify where I need to do more research. Using the excel spreadsheet I can identify what I might be missing and what I need to follow up on. All this helps to keep me focused.
For each element of my “story” I like to first transcribe the documents, if there are lots of documents I like to sort them into categories for that person so that extracting data will be easier. Once the I have both hard and soft copies of the documents filed and transcribed I am then ready to begin doing further research.

Working The Finally Get Organised List–Week 4

 

Task 1 Volunteer at FamilySearch Indexing.

Translation of Task – Get involved
Adaptation of Task – This is something that I would dearly love to do, however I already do quite a lot of transcribing on TROVE which I feels help me pay back to the community, it also allows the wider genealogical community great access to this large Australian Newspaper Data base as correcting the OCR increases accessibility.
Completion of Task – I have chosen to continue transcribing and correcting TROVE as my contribution
Reflection on Task – Once this and the Genealogical Do Over have been completed in 2016 I hope to have a little more disposable research time – my goal is then to start participating in the FamilySearch Indexing project focusing on Australian records.
 

Task 2. Learn to browse the image collections at FamilySearch.org .

Translation of Task – none required
Adaptation of Task - none required
Completion of Task – This is something that I always do
Reflection on Task – consulting the index does not reveal all the possible information that may be of value to your research.
 

Task 3. Create surname binders for yourself (if female) and your mother's maiden name, but leave them at that for the moment.

Translation of Task – Getting ready to repeat the same process for my father’s surname now for my mothers surname
Adaptation of Task - none required
Completion of Task – Done
Reflection on Task – here we go again.
 

Task 4. - Update your genealogy program to include your siblings

Translation of Task – Everything must be reflected in my genealogical program
Adaptation of Task - none required
Completion of Task – Already done

I create actual photograph album’s for both sides of my family, using the eldest living ancestor as the focus.  They document the life of the recipient with their own photos which they get to keep (after I have scanned it).  I usually give the final product to them on a significant birthday.  Thelma’s was given to her on her 80th birthday.  Since receiving the album I have updated it several times.  At the back of the album is all her descendants addresses and a list of all her descendants and their partners birthdays and year of birth.  This has helped me to keep abreast of the growing family.  And of course when I finish each update I also update my genealogical program.  It takes a bit of work but it’s part of the responsibility that goes with being recognized as the unofficial family historian.

Working The Finally Get Organised List–Week 3

Task 1. Transcribe every document you've collected on the first 4-four generations in your surname/maiden name binder.

Translation of Task – Transcribing is an essential, so that you can really see and integrate the information that each document you have.
Adaptation of Task - None required
Completion of Task – on going, most of my documents are already transcribed however as I tidy up my files I am finding some that I have missed
Reflection on Task – Owning or having a document is not enough, transcribing a document is the first step after acquisition that helps to integrate the data into your ancestors lives and uncover any further clues that may have gone unnoticed.
 

Task 2. Refile each document in the Surname/Maiden Name binder.

Translation of Task – Filing must be identical in both the physical and digital world
Adaptation of Task - ....
Completion of Task – not yet, I have documents everywhere and although the filing systems are consistence they are not duplicated in both the physical and digital world
Reflection on Task – This is an enormous task. I am lucky enough to have lots of documents and after 30+ years of research they come in various forms. Up until this point I had not thought of duplicating them in both the physical and digital world. The concept of the coffee table approach to my filing has made real sense to me, particularly with the thought that future generations will be coming to my research with the benefit of the finding process that brings familiarity with my holdings.

Working The Finally Get Organised List - Week 2

 
Task - First, back up your data.
Translation of Task – Back up my data or risk losing it all
Adaptation of Task - I have 3 places where I back up data – the main one is Dropbox, then Google Drive and also One Drive.
Completion of Task - Done
Reflection on Task – I need to understand how to more effectively integrate , then Google Drive and also One Drives into my system

Task - Decide on a genealogy management program.
Translation of Task – none required
Adaptation of Task - none required
Completion of Task – Done, I will continue to use Legacy Family Tree
Reflection on Task –

Creating a new filing system 

Task - Starting with yourself, ensure you've entered your personal data and that of the three older generations by that surname in your chosen genealogy management program.
Translation of Task – Don’t forget to document yourself
Adaptation of Task - none required
Completion of Task – up-to-date will ask mum whether there is anything tucked away in her files that pertain to my childhood that might need to be added to my profile in Legacy
Reflection on Task –

Task - Set aside a 3-ring binder for your surname, Label oversize tabbed 3-ring dividers and insert in the surname binder.
Translation of Task – none required
Adaptation of Task - needed more than one folder for my paternal surname, I have a lot of data.
Completion of Task –Reflection on Task – My filing was based on a totally different system, although the comment that finally won me over was the coffee table concept, and being able to easily share my data with people who would prefer hard copy data rather than work via computers. It has been tough overcoming my resistance but I am pleased to report I am extremely happy with the outcome achieved.
 
Task - Print out family group sheets starting with yourself & Place the 4 family group sheets behind the appropriate generation dividers in your surname binder
Translation of Task – This is the lynch pin between my Legacy database and my hardcopy files
Adaptation of Task - none required
Completion of Task – Done
Reflection on Task - This “front page” becomes an “index” for each generation
 

Task - Scan and file photos and documents relating to each of these four generations in your surname/maiden name binder. - As soon as you've scanned them, place all important "must save" photos and documents in top-loading page protectors
Translation of Task – Pull all photos and documents into one place
Adaptation of Task - I create family history photograph albums, as I have a lot of photos , however I will put an index to where each photo is held and its provenance. At the moment I keep a word document for each surname eg below I will then put it in the appropriate section.

Completion of Task – Almost complete
Reflection on Task – I need to break up my photo catalogues into surname groups to matchmy new filing surname, however this seems to be the most effective way to share and file them. I may need to add 2 more columns – where is hardcopy kept, where is master digital copy stored.

Leaving it all behind

Task - Create an introduction for those that follow.
Translation of Task – Help others decipher what I have done
Adaptation of Task - none required
Completion of Task – Done
Reflection on Task – When I was writing this up I realised there are several things I would like to change about how I do my filing currently that would make it easier for others who follow
 

Task - Add a "genealogy codicil" to your will by making an appointment with your attorney.

Translation of Task – Let others know what your intention was for your genealogical data when I am not longer able to articulate my desires.
Adaptation of Task - none required
Completion of Task – Done
Reflection on Task – This is important.

Working The Finally Get Organised List - Week 1

Task 1 - Clear off the Computer Desk & Make Piles for Everything

Translation of Task – Move current piles/extraneous items off Desk
Adaptation of Task -  My piles are a mix of current research, items of interest, and not yet done etc . I have created an adapted system of Action Files.  The holding files are organized by my main family lines and broad geographic areas of interest.  They are now held in a portable filing box sitting under my desk.  When I have dealt with the items they then can be moved into archival filing or the bin whichever is most appropriate
Completion of Task – Done
Reflection on Task – I love this new system, I can lay my hands on anything quickly as it will be either in the Action Files (aka halfway holding files) or in my archival files if it’s not already on the computer. 

Photo taken by Sandra Williamson 07 Jan 2016

Task 2 - Check your office supplies, and replace any missing or lost items

Translation of Task – There’s nothing more frustrating than reaching for something when you need it and finding that it’s not there or that it doesn’t work
Adaptation of Task – Make a list a list of what I’d like or need so that if an opportunity presents itself I can take advantage of it such as sales or gift requests etc
Completion of Task – Done
Reflection on Task – Knowing what you need, so that you can get it while out and about or order it online in a timely manner, is half the battle.
 

Task 3 - Setup your computer desk and office the way you really want it!

Translation of Task – You spend a lot of time at your desk - make it work for you not against you.
Adaptation of Task – none needed
Completion of Task -  First phase done, further refinement possible as ideas and more funds become available.
 

Task 4 - Designate a special red clipboard as the "When Computer Help Arrives" clipboard

Translation of Task – If you know what you want it’s easier for people to help
Adaptation of Task – none required
Completion of Task – Done
Reflection on Task – Great idea, will help me to remember what I’s really like done when someone offers to help
 

Task 5 - Designate a special green clipboard as the "Genealogy Challenges" clipboard.

Translation of Task – Keep an up-to-date summary of each “problem” I currently working on or intend to work on, so that when I get back to the “problem” I can pick up where I left off and not be stressed about forgetting anything.
Adaptation of Task – I have a system already in place for each family line that I am researching, it is a series of on going narratations of where I am at with each persons and/or family unit.  There are seperate word documents usually organised person and then  by time span and coverning one area of interest/topic. I will continue to use system as it helps me have clarity
Completion of Task – Done
Reflection on Task – I like my current system of “Books” and I know that when I don’t use it I can become quickly overwhelmed.


 
Week 1 Now Complete…….