Like many genealogists, I used to think it was needless to create and keep a research log. Too organized...too much work...a waste of time. Research logs -- forms for recording what you plan to look for, where you looked for it, and what you found -- are an invaluable resource when kept religiously, however.

An outline of your genealogical research process, research logs help you remember what road that old cemetery was on, when you wrote to the archives for your great-grandmother's naturalization record (and when and what you received as an answer), and that you haven't yet located great-grandpa in the 1910 census. A treasure map documenting your genealogical search.

Using and Organizing Research Logs