It’s easy to get excited following clues from one record to another and to forget to record what and where we have searched. However, keeping a research log will pay off in the long run by helping to avoid repeating work we have already done, and identifying record sets we may have missed. The research log should include the date, repository or website, record/record set or database searched, the search parameters (names, date ranges, locations, keywords etc.), and findings or lack thereof. You can easily create your own research log in word processing or spreadsheet software, or download templates from Familysearch as in the example below or other sites.
Tips and Resources
Research Log
