Genealogy Do Over | Week 1, About those logs!

Below this explanation are two examples of the narrative-type log I’ve been working with. It appears to combine the research goal and the research log. It works well for me. My problem is with the way I have been storing these; my current method is awkward when I wish to retrieve the log. (Currently each log is tagged to one or more Source numbers from my Reunion Software and stored in folders without much rhyme are reason.)

As I understand it, the point of a log is so you know where you have looked and what you have found or not found. Also you should be able to determine your next step. I’m sure with a bit of tweaking, this would meet these purposes.

But logs have another purpose — they should help people who follow your work understand what your goals were and the paths you followed. SO MY QUESTION to the folk who read this blog, especially those of you who are in the Genealogy Do Over group is:  Does this type of blog work for other people, or is it only useful for my personal outlook?

LOG 1 (A log for working with a census)

Name objective location

Aton, Nelson Hamilton verify residence Reunion Files

Date/ref # goal repository

1 Aug 2012) part of census project NARA

(and 28 May 2013) @ Ancestry.com

RESULTS

Aton, Nelson Hamilton

Cissell, Elizabeth Ann

Aton, Thomas J

Aton, William Franklin

For the “F. A. N.” transcriptions: I have transcribed 5 pages for Kentucky, Union County, District No. 1. New copies of all five pages were captured and stored in the Reunion Pictures Folder on 28 May, 2013. Pages were transcribed on that day and stored in Dropbox/Reunion/FamilyFile Records/Tools/CensusTranscriptions/1850 SpreadSheets/1850Kentucky147+.numbers.

This log was created 5 Jun 2013. SWM

LOG 2 (A log for a birth certificate)

Name objective location

Robert Francis McCormick find proof of birth Reunion Files

Date/ref # goal repository

10 Sep 1996 find GPS proof of Robert’s Safe Deposit Box

birth Boone County Bank

RESULTS

This is a scanned copy of the Birth Certificate requested while planning for the 1997 British Experience trip.  This is Bob’s first State Certificate Application.

Revised citation and this log entry were prepared 26 Apr 2013. SWM