Finding time to do my research is always a challenge. Weeks may go by without an opportunity to spend even an hour organizing my research and analyzing what I've collected. Then, when I suddenly find myself with a couple of free hours, I can't even remember where I left off from the last time! I can spend an hour just getting back into the groove and focused on a specific research question.
I know about research logs, calendars, to-do lists, etc. I've read many books and articles about how to get organized to be able to do your research on a start-and-stop schedule. I've tried file folders, binders, inbox on my desk, and various software applications intended to help with this. What I need is a process and tools that let me conduct my research whenever and wherever I want, whether it is at home on my iMac or somewhere else using a PC or my MacBook. The problem is that I can't carry around all my binders, file folders, logs, journals, and other research aids. Often, I find myself with 30 minutes of spare time somewhere with access to a PC and I want to do some research, but don't have access to any files to help me focus my search.
One solution I've found is Ancestry.com and its Family Tree service. I uploaded a GEDCOM of my current research into an online family tree in my account ( I have the Annual U.S. Deluxe membership.) I keep it private since it is constantly changing and I don't want someone thinking it is finished research yet. Using Ancestry, I can link in actual records from the census, SSDI, passenger lists, and many others from the vast Ancestry database of digitized records. This works regardless of what kind of machine I'm using, and my data is always there when I need it. If I get sidetracked while reading a census image and start to follow an unrelated person or family, I can save links to these records in My Shoebox for later study. This has worked out very well for me with short chunks of time when traveling or at lunch.
Later, when I have more time at home, I log back into Ancestry and retrieve the records I saved from the Shoebox. I'll save copies to my hard drive, prepare complete source citations, and extract data to insert into Reunion on my Mac. This has become my most common workflow for research as it doesn't require access to any of my binders or files at home. I'll talk more in another post about how I organize and maintain the digital files I retrieve from my online searches. This is definitely a service worth looking into, especially if you are already subscribing to Ancestry's databases.
Another advantage of using Ancestry to collect research is that their database engine is constantly searching the archives for possible matches to people in your tree. Whenever a record is found that might be a match for someone in your tree, Ancestry places a small leaf next to the individual and provides a link to follow to the record! How's that for automating searches through vast databases of records! Although many of the hints they find are to other public trees, they do find historical records that can prove valuable in your research.
