3.3 Research Logs

Research logs are important for organization. They keep a researcher on track and focused on the research question instead of running down every rabbit hole that appears during a project. The log also allows researchers to walk away from a project and come back right where they left off without wasting valuable time remembering what they were doing or repeating searches that have already been completed.

There is a push within the genealogical community to move away from research logs, but that push may be more toward new technologies and modern, convenient ways to log research steps instead of walking away from logging completely. Research logs vary and researchers are encouraged to develop a method of logging that works for them. Starting with a standard log and refining it over time is a good way to practice good methodology and work on building an individualized system of logging. Here are some basic principles or purposes that should be incorporated into a researcher’s log:

1. The log should track websites and searches.

2. The log should be easily searchable.

3. The log should have space for unsuccessful and successful searches.

4. When documents are located, they should have citations and links.

5. Someone viewing the log should clearly see goals and a logical series of searches completed to meet the goals. The results of those searches should be listed.

6. The log should reflect the researcher’s strong reasoning and analysis in a “notes” or “analysis” column.

Other helpful parts of a log may be the date and time spent researching; this information helps keep track of when research occurred and how much time has been spent on the project. Unsuccessful searches should be noted with a version of NIL or nil; the sought-for information is “not in location” (NIL). One reason all searches, including NIL searches, should be documented in the research log is so the genealogist does not repeat the same search over and over again. When a project takes place over an extended period of time it is easy to forget previous research steps but having the log allows the historian to pick up right where they left off researching, even if a lot of time has passed between searches. The research log should always be open when the researcher is working on the project, and logging should happen in real time during searches. Recreating the log after the fact is difficult, takes more time, and is rarely accurate. This process will seem slow at first but, over the life of a project, saves a lot of time. Historians get faster at logging as they work at it, and logging can become automatic with practice.

Researchers can use their program of choice to create and maintain the research log. Programs like Excel give a lot of flexibility to the user and allow for sorting by different parameters. This can help the genealogist look at their data and findings in different ways and quickly navigate to needed information. Something like Word is easy to use and creates a log that is readable and straightforward. Some people like to use Pages because it is easy to access and familiar to Apple users. A company called Goldie May1 creates a log for the researcher by tracking their searches and documenting websites. This is a modern solution to the research log question, but some work must still be done by the user to make sure the log accurately records needed information. One example is if the researcher takes a break to look at kitten videos, the kitten videos would become part of the log unless the user deletes those entries. Whichever program is most comfortable for the family historian is fine as long as the log accurately documents the research process.

Files of these basic logs are available for download below. These files are to be used during course projects or students may create their own version to log their research.