Organize Your Genealogy

As you begin your genealogical research, you may soon find the need to organize the information you find. There are many ways to organize genealogical information and you need to find a method that is most helpful to you personally.


 * Organizing Your Files
 * Document AS YOU GO!
 * Family History for Beginners
 * Organize the New Records

Stage One: Paper based system
Many genealogists start out with a paper based system. The basic forms are a Family Group Record and a Pedigree Chart. There are a number of websites that provide free downloadable copies of the basic forms for starting your investigations. Here is a link to a summary of many available forms.

Stage Two: Using a computer program
After becoming more involved, you may move to a computer based genealogy program. There are many types of programs available for both the Apple operating systems and the Windows operating systems. There are also programs for tablet computers and smartphones.

Additional resources:


 * Mac Genealogy Software
 * Windows Genealogy Software
 * Genealogy Management Software at Family History Centers

Stage Three: Organizing information on your computer
Once you begin to enter genealogical information into your computer, you will find a lot of additional information to store. Most of the genealogical database programs will provide a way to attach sources and media to an individual and a family.