Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

This was a favorite statement of one of my former co-workers. The most recent issue of Family Chronicle magazine reminds me of this in my genealogy research. Michael Hait has an article starting on page 21 entitled Crafting An Effective Research Plan. I recommend you come in and read the whole article to figure out how it best applies to you, but here are a few of the highlights. 1. Define your problem - which line of your ancestors will you follow first? Which ancestor are you missing vital event data for? Which ancestor do  you have conflicting information for? 2. Investigate the Location - this means researching the place and time period and may include researching the laws or conditions in practice at a given time and place. 3. Identify records of interest - apply the Genealogical Proof Standard to your research. (for more about this Standard checkout our book at Gen 929.1 Ros). According to Mr. Hait "completing these three steps before you step foot in a library or archive will help you to make the most of your research time and help you produce professional-quality research all the time."