| great when the family gets together, but you know | | | | information by family. Separate your own family record |
| that it'll be much greater if all family members can get | | | | from that of your parents. Use marriages as guide, as |
| to know each other and share the family history. Much | | | | each marriage requires a separate data sheet. Fill out |
| interest had been given to genealogic researches in | | | | forms backward, starting from the present and to the |
| the past years, but still, the most common form of | | | | past. Make all information on each family uniform, leave |
| genealogic research remains to be the family tree and | | | | spaces for unknown data and fill them out later when |
| its branching out. A family tree is a cinch to make if | | | | you got the missing links. It is also important to indicate |
| you intend to include only members of your immediate | | | | sources of the information. Include birth certificates, |
| family (parents, sibling, grandparents, uncles, aunts, | | | | death certificates, and marriage certificates with the |
| cousins) but what if you aim to include the three | | | | members' personal information but remember to use |
| generations before you? Or what if you intend to find | | | | only photocopied records. Label sheets with family |
| out who your ancestors are? This entails a much | | | | surnames and put them in file folders duly labeled. |
| larger scope and therefore a more thorough research. | | | | Collect and store these nuclear family sheets to larger |
| This also means more extensive notes, files, pictures, | | | | family groups. To do these use bigger filing folders. |
| interview transcripts, and other documents. To save | | | | Label these folders by the family patriarch's name, for |
| you from disorganization and make your research | | | | example, your grandfather's name. Include in this folder |
| easier, Carolyn Billingsley and Desmond Allen have | | | | all files of your uncles, aunts, parent, married siblings, |
| devised an efficient filing system specifically for | | | | married cousins, etc. An optional step is to add a |
| genealogic research. | | | | contents page to give you a clue about what is inside |
| The materials they prescribed are easy enough to | | | | the folders. These will make it easier for you to fill out |
| procure such as a filing cabinet (boxes will do), data | | | | your family tree and its branches. An organized |
| records, pens with black ink, file folders, notebook | | | | research will save you the trouble of diving into heaps |
| (loose leaf), and notebook dividers. They recommend | | | | of paper searching for documents that you think are |
| that you start by making nuclear family records. Printed | | | | there but have no idea where to find. |
| forms are available to make it easier. Record | | | | |