Research Log

Yesterday, I gave a presentation to a local group, talking about our Desk Top Genealogy Software, The Sub-title was Which is the BEST Genealogy Desk Top software program ? My answer is "It Depends" (to quote a dear Genealogy Speaker and friend, Judy G Russell, The Legal Genealogist. The title of the talk was Why I chose Family Tree Maker.

Of course I have been using it for a long time, since 1996 and Version 3.4 at I recall, and I blog about it, so there must be something about it that makes it different from the others. The biggest reason is the Workspace concept that was introduced in FTM2008, when the program moved from a DOS base program into Windows.

While I have been using the program, I also have been involved with assisting in teaching and learning the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS). I might note, that I have NO Brick Walls because of GPS. Just look at Step 1.

Today, I was reading a Blog Post, Organize Your Family History by Janine Adams. Her recent blog post My "good enough" Research Log caught my attention. Mostly because, in my talk, I mentioned the Research Log that is part of Family Tree Maker and I used that feature as an example of why I think this program sets it apart from other Genealogy Programs. Please read Janine's Blog Post.

My normal data entry, ALL within the People Workspace, Person View, gives my quick access to two important items. The RESEARCH LOG and my ToDo List for the Profile that I am doing dataentry for. I do NO Data Entry in the Tree View, ALL in the Person View.

When entering new information into my database, for a new person or an existing person is the Citation. Absolutely the FIRST thing that I do. Immediately after that is to Enter data into the Research Log. Absolutely the SECOND thing that I do. Once I got into that habit, I can almost tell that I forgot something. Cite my Source, Research Log, then go from there.

WHY ?

The Citation FIRST gets me into the habit of analyzing the information that I am about to enter into my database. It takes the most time to Craft a Citation (ALWAYS using the Source Template Feature), but I really have to Look at and Analyze what I am about to enter into my file.

From that Source Workspace, I click on the Link or Add a Link to the Profile for that Record I am entering into FTM2019. From there, I click on the Note Tab, which has the Research Log, and make a "good enough" Research Log Entry. Basically the DATA and the Record that was the Citation that I crafted. Most of the time, especially when the Record has more than one Person / Profile on that record. Then I will add the Profile's name. Nothing more, nothing less. I do that so that I can look at the FACTS and the Citations on the Fact to get more detail about what the Research Log is all about.

I can see the Facts that have been entered, with the Research Log below. That first entry in the Research Log was a Revolutionary War record. Looking at the Facts, I can see the Citation on the Right, for that Research Log Entry.

You may note that the Research Log is in a Bullet List, with the Date and Record, in Date Order. The Date or order of entry is not important, but I know WHEN I make that entry and can look at the Citation, with a Link to the Record, right there on the screen.

Note, that my "good enough" Research Log is the Positive stuff that I have done. Mostly from Hints. On that same screen, is the Task Tab or ToDo List for that profile.

The Task List or ToDo list tells me right away, what I need to resolve, things I need to do for that person. In this example, there are TWO Tasks that I have completed. I mark my completed Tasks with "RESOLVED" and how I resolved or completed the Task. I still have two items to complete.

I mentioned that I do ALL of my Data Entry from the Person View, so that I have quick access to My Research Log and ToDo List. Many items in the ToDo List / Task List can only be Resolved by a Record, Conflicting Information for example. I mark, in the ToDo List Conflicting Information.

Bottom line, for the Research Log, I can easily see what I have done, in the order which I did it. I know where to look to see what information I found on that Records, have a mouse click away from that record, all from that screen in Family Tree Maker.

For my "good enough research log" works for me.

Thanks Janine for your Blog Post



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Copyright © 2020 by Cousin Russ

Managing the Data Error Message Report - Follow up

Spent some time revising how I handle all of my Task List / ToDo List Items. It was a follow up from the process mentioned earlier in this series.

Bottom Line, It's Working


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Copyright © 2018 by H R Worthington

Managing the Data Error Report - Part 2

Part 2 - did some update to the file and want to see if I have any new Data Entry Report issues to record

Comments in the Community

https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/104046972028906209620/+FtmuserBlogspot/posts/bJgyJ1gAVGv

or on the Blog
http://ftmuser.blogspot.com/2018/07/managing-data-error-report-part-2.html


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Copyright © 2018 by H R Worthington

Managing the Data Error Report - Part 1

Will demonstrate how I now manage the Data Error Report, Part 1

I have figured out a way to Manage the Date Error Report. First, to identify the Potential Errors, Secondly, Give me the ability to SEE that the profile has an Error, Thirdly to Have a ToDo List to work from, by a specific Error Message Group.

I had not been dong a good job of managing these errors at all, until I used the Data Error Report when helping others. (read smaller FILES).

After spending a couple of days, I have 823 Tasks / ToDo Items to work from. 

Part 2 will be, so now what. I identified the Errors, found the reason for the Potential Error, Resolve that error in the database, the make sure the Potential Error has been resolved.

I will add a few people to this database, as see if There are NEW Errors. I will also then, clear some of the ones I have identified.


Comments in my Google+ Community

https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/104046972028906209620/+FtmuserBlogspot/posts/dHFHseKFaoX

or on the Blog

http://ftmuser.blogspot.com/2018/07/managing-data-error-report-part-1.html


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Copyright © 2018 by H R Worthington

How I manage a file that is not mine

Was given a file that I will return to the owner. How to communicate the work that I did and way. A few times on what I have done.




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Copyright © 2018 by H R Worthington

Facebook Question: Not enough Information

Here is a question from Facebook:

How do you enter these facts so you know there is no more research to be done.

1. There is no spouse
2. There were no children

Looking for suggestions and/or standards.

Standards, no; suggestion, no, but will answer How I handle this;

I enter what I know from Documentation and Cite the Source of that information. I have a 0 Undocumented FACT policy for my file.

I'll answer #2 first, as it is the easiest. In a word Nothing. I don't guess if the had children or didn't have children. I have blog post that talks about No Children.

FTM2014 - Marriage, No Children

To answer #1, I have two answers

That question implies that the subject person was married. If I have a record that the person was married, just don't know the name, I will use my "unknown name" standard of 5 Underscores. If I find a record that infers that a female married and the record provides her married name, I would enter 5 Underscores plus her Married Name.

_____ _____ for the unknown name
 _____ MarriedName if that is what the record shows.

The marriage Fact needs to reflect something that reminds me that I don't have a record of the marriage.

People Workspace, Tree View, where you see relationships.

Here is an example of a Father who has children, but I don't know the Mother's name, no do I know IF there was a marriage

There is a 1 in the spouse ICON but there is no information in the "Spouse" field. I enter 5 underscores.

That is a visual to me, there I don't know the name. I see that in the Index on the Left of the Screen.

Now, I don't know if they married. I go to the People Workspace, Person View, and select the Relationship Tab, go down to that unknown spouse and on the right, select the pull down menu and select Unknown.

So the relationship is now correct.

The 5 underscores are my visual about the name, but I need to find the name, But what about "was there a marriage. My ToDo List is where I put that.

The Tasks Tab and clicking New on the Left (not shown) will open the Add Task for box, where I entered "Did William Andrews ever marry? then click Edit to put it into a Category. In this case, my Follow up Category.

The task list is always in the Plan Workspace and in the Task List for this person. Not seen on the left is that I already have 10 other Tasks for him. All in different Categories.

I hope that answers the questions from Facebook.
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Copyright © 2017 by H R Worthington