One of the best ways to organize information and see what is lacking in your research is to write up the information you already have. Prove each point or statement as you work along. You would be amazed at the amount of information you have or at how little you actually do have.
I write up families all the time for various articles or columns I am working on. It is one of the best ways to really get you looking more closely at your research.
Writing for someone else to understand makes you think about things on a different level. It may help you notice gaps or errors in your own research. And if the finished product looks good to you, consider submitting it for publication in a society journal or newsletter. That’s a great way to share and preserve that you have located.
No responses yet
Michael – great tip! I recently did this just before completing my research on someone else’s family. It helped me find gaps in the info, clear up differences in dates from different sources and, having all my research docs on hand and going through them again hepled me make sure that the “rest of the story” that I had found was included in the report. Love your blog! Thanks for all the timely tips!