Anyone interesting in beginning genealogy research and those who have been researching for years, always seek new tools to help improve their organization and research skills. The internet and bookstores are filled with these resources. Those just starting genealogy research require a few important tools, which may include:
- A database program to store all your information.
- Online websites like FamilySearch.org or Ancestry.com to help you locate records.
- Memberships in genealogy societies to provide education and networking.
- Local beginning genealogy classes like ones taught at the Newberry Library in Chicago.
- Genealogy related forms and charts to assist with research.
Genealogy related forms are one of the most important tools a researcher can have in their toolkit. David Haas, an Illinois-born researcher, created Geneosity.com, a website filled with genealogy tools. David had this to say about his site.
"The site Geneosity.com was started in 2009 and contained several forms that I had created for my own use going back as far as 2005. All of the various forms that I needed were hard to find and all looked different with various colors, layouts, etc. When Geneosity.com was launched it was only a short matter of time before the forms began receiving the bulk of traffic and comments to the website. The site currently contains about 30 different forms. I'll be updating the older forms and adding more material to the website over the next couple of months, including another dozen new forms for various purposes which I'm excited to finish. Forms can be useful not only for record keeping and presenting information, but also help to suggest what types of information should be collected."
Geneosity.com has an amazing collection of genealogy forms. David has broken these into useful subcategories to help you navigate the long list. These categories are: Family Tree Forms, Genealogy Charts and Research Forms.
I love the clearness and conciseness of these forms. The forms are laid out so anyone, of any research level, can jump in and use them immediately. A couple of my favorites are the Family Migration Form because it provides a format that helps me clearly see the migration path of a family. Using this form at an archive or library allows one to record the addresses or locations of a person which can later be transferred to a genealogy program.
Another favorite is the Individual Critical Document Record Sheet. This form helps a researcher extract the most important pieces of information from a record for an individual. I think the most important thing about this sheet is the fact that kids just starting their own research can use this as a building block in learning research skills and data analysis.
I take my laptop with me whenever possible to research but I'm also still a pencil and paper girl. David's forms work very well for the type of researcher I am. Not a pencil and paper researcher? You can still download the forms and use the fields as prompts when looking at records. The prompts will help ensure you do not miss a vital piece of information.
I hope you enjoy David's forms as much as I do. If you have used them in the past, please leave your comments below.
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