Organize Your Family History

Stay focused and happy while exploring your roots

Should you color code your files?

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Let me preface my answer to this question with one statement: You do you.

If color coding is satisfying and sustainable for you, go for it. Color coding (either of paper files or digital ones) can help you quickly identify what you’re looking for. But it comes with a drawback, in my estimation: extra work.

When I first started with genealogy back in 2001 or so, I created a color-coded paper file system. I bought colored folders and color-coded folder labels. I used one color per line (so four colors, one for each grandparent’s surname) and I created folders for each couple, with the folders for each surname and each line filed together.

I wasn’t a professional organizer yet, but I found the color coding satisfying.

That worked nicely before I ended up abandoning my research because I hadn’t sourced things properly. One of the reasons it worked out well is that I hadn’t yet done a lot of research so I didn’t have a lot of files. (That’s a picture of my file cart from back in the day above.)

When I came back to genealogy a decade later, I slowly transitioned from paper to digital files. And I didn’t bother using colored dots or any other type of electronic color-coding because I didn’t need to. Instead, I created a digital folder structure and a file-naming protocol that meant that I don’t have any trouble finding any of my digital files. I had to train myself to rename my files immediately after downloading them and to file them properly as soon as I processed them. That’s a solid habit now and easy as pie. Color coding would have been an additional, unnecessary step.

Once I started working as a professional organizer, I discouraged most clients from using color-coded files for fear that they wouldn’t have the right color handy when they needed to file. When that happened, they couldn’t file and piles would form.

In my view, if color coding impedes your ability to actually file, it’s not worth it. But if you love color coding and it works well for you, go for it.

If you’re interested in learning more about my folder structure and file system, check out my Orderly Roots Guide, How I Do It: A Professional Organizer’s Genealogy Workflow.

How They Do It: Julie Miller

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I am so excited to bring you another interview in my How They Do It Series. Julie Miller is a Certified Genealogist and a Certified Genealogical Speaker and a fellow of the National Geneaological Society. Julie is a full-time professional researcher, speaker, and writer who lives in Colorado. Those of us who enjoy attending NGS Family History Conferences have a lot to thank Julie for. She was the conference chair of the 2010 and 2012 NGS Family History Conferences, was Chair of the NGS Conference Committee from 2012–2018, and is currently a member of the committee. I was so happy when she agreed to do a How They Do It interview!

How They Do It: Julie Miller

How long have you been doing genealogy?

Forty-five years. I was in college and was inspired by the book Roots by Alex Haley.

What’s your favorite thing about being a genealogist?

It makes me feel connected to family I never knew personally. 
Also, I love that there’s always something new to learn.

What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to organizing your genealogy?

Slowing down and taking my time. Things get missed when I don’t.
 For example, it’s a challenge to make myself process a document before going on to the next document. I want to keep researching and find all that I can. When I do that, I not only wind up with a mess that takes a lot of time to sort out but I also overlook information that makes it necessary to redo the research. This happens when I’m working on the computer at home and it’s especially hard when I’m researching in a library or repository.

What is your favorite technology tool for genealogy?


Evernote. I’ve always been a pretty organized person so I look for things that will improve my organizing methods, but only if it will save time allowing me more time for research. 
I’ve been using Evernote for ten years now and it has changed how I research, create a lecture, write an article, etc. Evernote for me is a temporary place for information, I don’t store all of my genealogy there. I use it as I used to use notebooks, except Evernote stores everything in one place and I take it with me everywhere.

If you were starting out new as a genealogist what would you do differently?


So many things but to name just a few:

  • I would cite all my sources. Not just those I was sure about but those sources or clues that I used to get to where I wanted to go.
  • I would take one question at a time and try to find the answer. I tried to do too much all at once and the result was a lot of partially finished research.
  • 
I would take a beginning genealogy class instead of teaching myself.
  • 
I would join a genealogy society to learn from others and to connect to others with an interest in genealogy. Genealogy can be a lonely and isolating interest even before the internet but it can be more so now.

Do you keep a research log? If so, what format?


Yes. I have a combination research log and plan that is in Evernote. I have the template that I copy when starting a new project.

How do you keep track of clues or ideas for further research?

I have a future research and notes columns in my research plan. 
I also use Evernote to save ideas.

How do you go about sharing your personal research with cousins or other interested parties?


Private web site that is just for family. I have a skeleton tree on some DNA websites. Other inquiries are handled on an individual basis.

What’s the most important thing you do to prepare for a research trip?

Hands down, a research plan(s). I always take more plans than what I think I can get done. There are times when the information just isn’t there or a problem is solved faster than expected. If you don’t have more to do, precious time is wasted.

What’s your biggest piece of advice to genealogists in terms of organizing their research?


Be consistent. No matter how you choose to organize (and it will be different for each person), write down how you want to organize and consistently stick to your choices. I recommend creating a personal style guide to record the choices selected.

Also, it is so important to research and evaluate different organizing methods before starting. Then you can decide on what’s right for you. Don’t listen to what other people think are the best methods. Their situation and thinking process are not exactly the same as yours and so what’s the best system for them will not necessarily be the best for you.

Do you have a dedicated space in your home for doing genealogy research? What’s it like?

Yes, it is my office. I have an L shaped desk, a standing desk that is height-adjustable, a desktop with dual monitors, printer, scanner, and bookcases.

Do you have anything to add?

If we want our genealogy to stand the test of time and be handed down to the next generation, we have to have it organized. Too much work has been tossed in the trash because descendants don’t have the time or the inclination to organize the research that they have been given.

Amen, sister! So much of what Julie had to say resonated with me; I found myself nodding along as I read her answers. I’ve admired Julie since I heard her speak at the NGS conference in St. Charles, Missouri, back in 2015. Her talk on Civil War Pension Files set me off on a wonderful journey with these records. (She even helped me when I was trying to get my source citation right!) For more information about Julie and her services, check out her website JPM Research. Thank you so much, Julie, for sharing such great advice and for giving us a peek at your spacious, organized research space. (I’m green with envy.)

Coming next week: New Orderly Roots Guide!

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I am very excited to announce that I’m putting the finishing touches on my new Orderly Roots Guide, How I Do It: A Professional Organizer’s Genealogy Workflow and it will be released next week! This guide details how I organize my own genealogy research, step by step.

At 37 pages, the new guide is more than three times as long as the other three and it allows me space to go into the kind of detail I can’t get into on the blog. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I organize my research in a digital format and that I use Reunion as my genealogy software. I’ve included a lot of screen shots. I’m hoping that you will find the new guide helpful!

If you’re not on my Mailing List, I encourage you to sign up. Starting May 4, I’ll be sending out a series of emails that will include limited-time discount codes to buy the new guide individually or, at a bigger discount, the bundle of all four Orderly Roots Guides.

This guide has been a long time coming; I hate to admit how long it’s been on my task list. I finally had to let go of perfectionism and decide it was finished. I’m excited about the final product!

Photo by Huma Kabakci on Unsplash.

How They Do It: Amie Bowser Tennant

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I am delighted to present a new interview in my How They Do It Series. I bet a number of you are familiar with Amie Bowser Tennant, The Genealogy Reporter, who brings us genealogy news, education and inspiration. Amie is a research genealogist and national speaker and, in addition to keeping her own blog, she is a blogger for FamilySearch. I’ve enjoyed hearing her speak at conferences and am so happy when she agreed to do this interview. Enjoy!

How They Do It: Amie Bowser Tennant

How long have you been doing genealogy?

I have been doing genealogy for 22 years. It started out as a passion to scrapbook, but when I realized how many pictures my parents had of people they didn’t know, I started investigating the family. That is how I got hooked!

What’s your favorite thing about being a genealogist?

Wow…my favorite thing about genealogy? There are so many! I guess when I find a document that no one else had been able to find.

What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to organizing your genealogy?

My biggest challenge to organizing my genealogy is getting ahead of myself. In other words, working on too many projects at once and not organizing as I go. I have everything I need print out documents, label them with a citation, file them in a folder or binder, and save them on the computer and on the cloud, and I still get excited and forget to print something or cite something from time to time!

What is your favorite technology tool for genealogy?

My favorite tech tool for genealogy is my smartphone with a camera! I don’t have to make Xerox copies anymore and it has made a world of difference to the quality of the images I can get while visiting a research center on site.

If you were starting out new as a genealogist what would you do differently?

If I were starting out as a new genealogist, I wouldn’t necessarily do anything different than what I did. The best thing I did was to take the National Genealogical Society American genealogy at-home course. It set a great foundation.

Do you keep a research log? If so, what format?

Yes, I keep a research log in Microsoft Excel usually. Across the top, I have the research question in bold. Then, each column gets a heading: Item Viewed, Date Viewed, What was looked for, What was found, URL link, Source Citation. I save this on Google Drive so I have it accessible anywhere I am doing research.

How do you keep track of clues or ideas for further research?

Lots of highlighters on document copies and my notebooks and I use colored sticky tabs to mark things in books or notebooks that I need to come back to.

How do you go about sharing your personal research with cousins or other interested parties?

I rarely share my personal research with other genealogy minded people. Not because I don’t want to, but because my family members aren’t interested in getting a traditional report. For this reason, I have done lots of unique things. I made a giant poster with all the descendants of my grandparents; I created a scrapbook of fun stories of just the grandmothers in the family; and I wrote a narrative about one side of our family after having done several interviews of family members. On occasion, I do a special something for the kids that has to do with their ancestor…like an ancestor birthday party or a potted plant of a flower/vegetable one of their ancestors used to grow in their garden.

What’s the most important thing you do to prepare for a research trip?

The most important thing I do before a research trip is make sure my car is in good running condition. I once got a flat tire on a research trip and that was not fun! I also make sure I have a way to charge all my devices (phone, laptop, gps, etc.)

What’s your biggest piece of advice to genealogists in terms of organizing their research?

My biggest piece of advice for genealogists is to remember to not only cite their record sources, but to remember to source their pictures. I always add metadata or text on the front of a digitized photo with a source citation of where it came from.

Do you have a dedicated space in your home for doing genealogy research? What’s it like?

I have a genealogy office that I feel very fortunate to have the room for! I have a nice big desk, shelving, and it is entirely decorated with pictures of family ancestors and my collection of oil cans. It has a big window that I can see out while sitting at the desk so I can enjoy looking over the fields as I work.

Raise your hand if you can relate to getting ahead of yourself and not organizing as you go! It’s nice to know that this also happens to the pros we admire! I love Amie’s ideas for sharing genealogy research. And I think I will now always give my car a check up before leaving for a research trip. Thank you so much, Amie, for sharing how you do it and for sharing the photos of your delightful genealogy space!