Research Log

Who this is for

A line for every search, including the ones that found nothing. Each row says who you were looking for, where you looked, what you hoped to find and what happened — so the same register is not searched twice and a negative result is remembered as clearly as a find.

Anyone doing family history for more than a few weeks. The log is the difference between research and wandering: it is where the searches already made are written down so the next session starts where the last one stopped.

What this helps you track

• What was searched, where, and on what date
• Which ancestor or question each search was for
• What you were looking for, in enough detail to judge the result
• Whether it was found, not found or partly found
• What to do next, written while it is still obvious

How to use it

1. Write your name and the surname, line or question the sheet covers at the top. Many people keep one log per surname.
2. Before you search, write the row: the date, the ancestor or objective, the repository or site, and the source you are about to look at.
3. Say what you are looking for — 'baptism between two dates in this parish', 'household in this street' — not just the name.
4. After the search, set the result. A search that found nothing is still a result and saves you repeating it.
5. Use the last column for what the result suggests doing next, or for the reference of what was found, and copy any find into your source log.
6. On paper the log runs over two pages; the browser version keeps adding rows and saves in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why record searches that found nothing?

Because in a year you will not remember whether you checked that register, and without the row you will check it again. A negative result also narrows the search: if the baptism is not in that parish, it is somewhere else.

How much detail goes in the source column?

Enough to repeat the search: the collection, the years or volumes covered and the reference, rather than just the name of the archive or website.

What is the difference between this and a source log?

This records the searching, including failures. The source log records the documents actually found and what each one proves. A find appears on both; a fruitless search only appears here.

Should I keep one log for everything or one per family?

Either works. One per surname or per research question is easier to read back; one log for everything is easier to keep up. Write which it is in the header.