Back to top

Paper or Digital?

Paper or Digital?

January 5, 2022

The sacker at your grocery store’s checkout may ask you, “Paper or plastic?” but for genealogy research, the key question is slightly different: “paper or digital?”

Let’s say you have started your genealogy research and are saving information digitally. Or maybe you have been researching for a while, and you want to go from all paper to digital. After loading your computer full of files, what’s next? You might want to organize your files so they are more manageable and easier to find. Here are some tips for that!

First, create a main folder on your hard drive or a removable drive. You will add more to this folder as you continue your research, so be sure there is plenty of space. Within this folder, you can create subfolders. Your subfolders can be surname folders or record types, such as pictures, vital records, etc. Choose whatever works best for you. If you have paper files you have organized and that system works well, use the same process for your digital files. Move your files to the appropriate subfolders, and be sure to be consistent with file names.

If you decide that hard copies are still the way to go for you, FamilySearch Wiki has a couple good articles on organizing files that can help: “Organizing Your Files” and “Genealogical Filing Systems (National Institute).” Another great place to turn to for ideas is Mid-Continent Public Library’s catalog. One highly recommended book that you can find here is Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher by Drew Smith.

There are also software apps that can help with organizing. Two of the more popular ones are Evernote and Trello. Search the web and find one that you like. Many have a free version.

Most importantly, remember to do what works best for you!

So, how do you organize your genealogy research—paper or digital? Let us know in the comments below!

Sheri V.
Midwest Genealogy Center

View All Blogs

Read Similar Blogs:
Genealogy

Resources You May Also Like

Historic Map Works Library Edition

View city directories, land ownership maps, and more.
More Info

North American Women's Letters and Diaries, Colonial to 1950

Explore women's diaries and correspondence to 1950.
More Info

America's Obituaries & Death Notices (now included in HeritageHub)

Find obituaries and death notices published since 1980.
More Info

Events You May Also Like

Blogs You May Also Like

Petticoat Lane
Read More

Petticoat Lane

I’ve heard of memory lane, express lane, passing lane, and even of “life in the fast lane,”
Revelations with Church Records
Read More

Revelations with Church Records

My great-grandfather has a rather common name, so it hasn’t been a piece of cake tracing his lineage to older
What’s Cooking?
Read More

What’s Cooking?

I love to hear and read about the foods that my relatives and ancestors ate.
After-Hours Treasure Hunt at MGC: 2022 Lock-In
Read More

After-Hours Treasure Hunt at MGC: 2022 Lock-In

The Midwest Genealogy Center would like to invite you to our annual Lock-In!

Was this page helpful? Yes No