Uses of Research Log

[Jane Neuman 0]

As a new user to TMG, I am trying to be "smart" about how I use all the flexible features. Does anyone have any good tips about how they use the research log?

 

I'm specifically wondering about:

 

1) How do you set your keywords up?

2) Do you have a standard way of indicating a negative result? It seems that it would be buried in the text.

3) Do you use a standard "checklist" kind of approach? For example, there are basic things you would check for each person (birth, death, census, marriage, military, surname search, etc.). I noticed in the screen layout thread that some people seem to use "flags" for standard research tasks.

 

Any other tips?

 

Thanks for any feedback!

 

Jane

[Michael Hannah 0]

As a new user to TMG, I am trying to be "smart" about how I use all the flexible features.

1) How do you set your keywords up?

2) Do you have a standard way of indicating a negative result? It seems that it would be buried in the text.

3) Do you use a standard "checklist" kind of approach? For example, there are basic things you would check for each person (birth, death, census, marriage, military, surname search, etc.). I noticed in the screen layout thread that some people seem to use "flags" for standard research tasks.

Hi Jane,

I think you are already "smart" to consider in advance how you are going to use the flexible features in TMG.

 

One of the key attributes (limitations?) of the Research Log is that the List of Tasks can only be sorted by one of Type/Person Name, Designed Date, Planned Date, Begun Date, Progress Date, Completed Date, Keywords, or Task Name. If you wish to order/sort the List of Tasks, you must rely upon one of these fields. Further, these Research Tasks can only link to one of each of Person, Event, Source, Repository. If the task needs to be associated with multiples of these, you could duplicate Tasks, but this introduces the problem of keeping these duplicate tasks synchronized.

 

My way of using the Research Log (and I suspect you will get suggestions of lots of other ways) has three special characteristics:

 

1) My keywords are a fixed list of abbreviations designed primarily for filtering the tasks.

2) My Tasks are only linked to custom event Tags I created for this purpose, and I use a flag to indicate that the person has outstanding tasks to aid in filtering for such people.

3) My Task names are carefully structured and begin with a priority sort code.

 

More details of each of these follows:

 

1) For keywords I use a list of my standardized abbreviations. I try to have three types of keywords, in order: first) a place/repository to search, second) a source to check or type of event information to find, and third) a specific action required or task status. While the order is not really important as the filter automatically uses "contains" it is easier for me to read. I choose not to link the Task to a (single) Repository, since I can enter multiple keywords for repositories when there are multiple possible repositories where I might/will research. Examples of source or type might be to find the "SPOUSE", identify the exact "DATE", check the "PASS"enger list, look up their "WILL", etc. And the action or status might be obtain a "COPY", make a "TRANS"cript, etc. I also use the keyword "DONE" to indicate the status of completed tasks, and "PENDING" for tasks where my actions are complete but I am still waiting for a response from someone else.

 

2) I have created custom tag types associated with most types of events whose tag names all end with the characters "Find", and I only link Tasks to these events. Typically these custom tag types are created in the appropriate group for research about the event so a "Find" tag can be simply changed to the “normal” tag without the suffix when the desired information is found. Examples are: BaptFind, BirthFind, BurialFind, CensusFind, DeathFind, EmigFind, Marr Find, ResideFind. A single "Find" tag event can be linked to many people and cite many (potential) sources, and the main tag memo as well as the separate Witness memos can indicate what I am looking for concerning this person and this event. For me, seeing the tag name (e.g. BirthFind) listed among the person's details reminds me that I still need to find this information. These tags are excluded from printing in most reports.

 

With the custom flag that I have named "FIND" set to 'Y' for people with "Find" events, I can produce an Individual Narrative report of only these people and only printing the BMDB and "Find" events. This IN report, sorted by person ID number, keeps me from duplicating a lot of information in the Research Task itself. A List of Tasks will show the Primary Person ID of the linked event and I can quickly find their narrative in the IN Find report. I can also produce a List of Citations filtered for "Linked Event > Tag Type Label > Contains > Find" to identify all the (already identified) sources that need to be researched.

 

I also have created custom tag types that end with "Nil" for recording when information has been researched but not found (e.g. BaptNil). It saves me from looking in that source again. I would simply edit the existing "Find" tag and change its type to the corresponding "Nil", add a comment in the memo and cite the sources where I looked, and edit the (still) linked Research Task to show "DONE".

 

3) My Task name is carefully constructed for filtering, sorting and my readability since this field is one of only two ways you can filter, is the default sort key, and the only thing shown on the Research Log task list. I prefer simply prefixing an abbreviated description of the task (who/what/when) with a three digit priority sort code. That way the tasks I wish to do first sort first. My three digits each represent first (0-9) my overall interest, then (0-9) an indication of dependency or importance, and a third (0-9) digit to break ties. There is no problem with multiple tasks having the same sort code, just shows they are relatively equal to me. (This sort code prefix was originally suggested by Virginia Blakelock back in Sep 2000.) I use the Research Task name as the mechanism for assigning priority to the "Find" events, but use the events for any multiple linkage capabilities and more comprehensive reports.

 

When the task is completed, I replace the priority sort code with the word "DONE" which causes all these tasks to sort last. For "who" I put “surname, given” if this task primarily refers to one person, just surname with trailing comma if given is unknown, or for a marriage I put the two surnames separated by an ‘&’ with groom first if I know both surnames. Then comes a single code word for the primary "what" I am looking for with this task (e.g. "BIRT") and finally the year. Examples of Task Names are: “453 Richards, Mary BIRT 1842” or “325 Richards & Egglestore MARR 1820s”.

 

Note that the "where" is not in the Task name but in the keywords. I put the "why" I want to find this information, what actions and results are intended by this task, and why I have assigned the indicated priority in the Task Comments. Everything else should be in the "Find" events data printed in the filtered IN report so is not needed here.

 

Hope this gives you ideas,

Edited March 10, 2008 by mjh

[Jane Neuman 0]

Michael,

 

Wow. That's an approach I never thought of. A couple of thoughts:

 

Do you find that you get so many tags that the person view becomes cluttered or overwhelming?

 

Will your method allow a To Do list for a certain repository (like a research trip or a FHC film#)?

 

Your method relies heavily on Tags rather than tasks. As best I can tell, you mostly use the tasks as a way of prioritizing your work. Do you find the data entry burdensome?

 

Thanks much for your thoughtful answer. This seems to me to be one of the most tricky issues because everyone has unique research techniques, because our research is not always person centered, and because we may want to "slice and dice" the data in so many ways.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jane Neuman

[Michael Hannah 0]

Do you find that you get so many tags that the person view becomes cluttered or overwhelming?

Not really, Jane, but then I only add "Find" tags when I decide I want to find that information. Some people are on side branches that I do not (currently) want to or have time to research, so they don't (yet) have any "Find" tags even though their data is very incomplete. Of course I could add one or two and make their priority very low.

Will your method allow a To Do list for a certain repository (like a research trip or a FHC film#)?

The List of Tasks filtered for my keyword for that repository will give me a nice list, prioritized. And if I have entered my second type of keyword for type of source (e.g. WILL or CENS) I can further limit my list to that type of source. When I was using a lot of FHC films I would put the film number as my second type of keyword, so could (also) filter for that, but often a generic source term like CENS is good enough for me. Also, if I have made a citation on the "Find" event to a source that is the FHC film#, then a List of Citations filtered for "Find" events AND filtered for that source number works for me as a list of what to research in that source. I cite sources on "Find" events of the sources I intend to search, and often put in the Citation Reference notes that will help with that source, like a memory jog of where the index to that source is located. I take my computer with me to the library, so even if I forget to generate a To Do list I can do that when I get there. And since the List of Citations can output the Principals' ID numbers for that event, it is easy for me to bring up that person on my computer for any details I need.

Your method relies heavily on Tags rather than tasks. As best I can tell, you mostly use the tasks as a way of prioritizing your work. Do you find the data entry burdensome?

I use the Tasks not only for prioritization, but also to record why I care about finding this data, e.g. what door this will open to further research. I don't find it burdensome, but I only enter what I really want to find. I also try to follow some of the personal productivity guidelines for assigning tasks to projects and only add the "Find" tags for the next action(s) I want to take with this person, not all possible tasks. Then when those tasks are done and those "Find" tags are converted to "normal" tags, I add "Find" tags for the next things I want to find. What I do like is that I only have to add one tag that may relate to multiple people (e.g. one "Marr Find" tag for both parties, or one "CensFind" tag for the HOH and all the Witnesses I expect to find with their expected roles). Much of my final data entry is already done when I find the marriage or census record because I just have to edit this already entered tag and change it to a "standard" type and flesh out the citation and data. In other words, I often use a "Marr Find" instead of a "Marr" tag when I really know very little information, so it is little more data entry than adding the marriage tag that I would add anyway.

Thanks much for your thoughtful answer. This seems to me to be one of the most tricky issues because everyone has unique research techniques, because our research is not always person centered, and because we may want to "slice and dice" the data in so many ways.

Yep, it is very tricky, and very personal. That is why you are smart thinking this through and choosing your way to do it. What works for me may not work for you. Good luck. And glad it has given you food for thought.