Managing your Documents and Files

Even after only tracing three or four generations back you will have accumulated copius amounts of paper work in the form of documents, certificates and print outs so good organisation is essential. You will probably use somekind of genealogy software to store you records digitally but a good back up paper file is essential. You will start with one lever arch file but have another standing by as it will soon become necessary to split your paternal lineage and maternal lineage into two separate files.

* Note: Also ensure you have an endless supply of clear plastic pockets to protect your paper copies.

Assigning an individual reference number to each person in your tree is a key task in staying organised. You must ensure that each file or document pertaining to an individual is identifiable and contains the individuals reference number that you have assigned to them. Furthermore you must use the same reference numbers on your paper files as you do on your computer in order to avoid confusion.

The traditional way of numbering individuals is to start with yourself as number one. Your father should be number two and your mother number three. You will then have your paternal grandparents as four and five and your maternal grandparents as six and seven and so on. This system works well on direct lineage trees but doesn't allow for the inclusion of sibings. Researching siblings of an individual is sometimes necessary to verify that you have the right person and that you have their parents names recorded directly.

My own personal preference is based on the above but with some additions. I start by assigning a letter for each generation with myself as Generation A, Then my parents generation as Genearion B, My grandparents as Genearation C and so on. ( I have never found anyone who could trace back twenty six generations so you won't run out of letters).

Next each group of siblings within a generation is assigned a number. In generation A mine and my sisters group is group one. In Generation B My parents and their siblings are groups one and two. Then each individual sibling in a group is assigned a letter. So you end up with something like this:

  Yourself = A1a Your sister/brother = A1b

  Your Father = B1a Your fathers sister/brother B1b

  Your Mother = B2a Your mothers sister/brother B2b etc

It may seem overly complicated but it allows you to make later additions to groups of siblings and slot them in with the right group of people without messing up the your files and you can still assign them an appropriate reference number. Your folder will then run in the order of a time line and can be change, updated or added to as necessary.