How did you document your paper-based research?

Question

99% of my family research is on my computer. I back up my files regularly, but if something awful were to happen with my computer and the other storage devices, I would still lose everything. I therefore would like a paper copy just in case.

My dad gave me a family history box kit that has a blank notebook, folder and charts to fill in, but I have no idea how to index my information. I bought index cards, and was going to assign one to each individual, but my tree has about 1500 people on it! It would be useful to cross-reference, but I can see this taking YEARS! I just don't know where to start.

Has anyone documented their paper copies yet? I don't fancy writing it all up, but I'm beginning to think that's the only way I can do it.

Answer 1

I think you make a good point, even if your computer didn't crash is there any guarantee that in ten years time computers will be able to run today's programs? Even Windows 98 stuff is pretty well impossible to run nowadays.

Can you not print out reports from your gemcom files? It will probably use bucketloads of unnecessary paper - but better than losing all your info.

Answer 2

Paper copies of your research is not going to insure that you will never lose the records. Any genealogy program will print the files, and the standard format would be by family group sheets. You can file those in a 3 ring binder, alphabetically by husband's last name.  Nice dad.. but there really is no reason to write anything, and it would be a duplication of things that can be printed.

You are only thinking of computer crashing.  Other risks are fires , floods, etc.  You can grab your back up disks far faster than hauling crates of paper.  If you have a trusted family member.. you can send them a copy of your disk to keep at their home.. or you can put it all in a gedcom, and upload it to a storage place online.  If you have a yahoo mail account.. you can send it to yourself as a file attachment, and it can be stored in your own mailbox (which is not normally on your own computer).

The term "documentation", by the way.. usually means the original record that backs up your work, such as birth certificate, etc.  Those can be even harder to replace. One solution for this is to scan them into your system, then back that up (as if it were photos).  If you don't have a scanner.. walmart or other super retail places normally have a one hour photo machine, that incorporates a scanner.  You can take documents (not necessary for charts from your program), and have them scanned to a cd for something like $3.00.

Answer 3

What about backing up on CD's?  That way, if your computer should crash, and you get a new one...there you are. I have so much paperwork, it's unreal.  There were a couple of books out a few years back which gave some interesting ideas on what to do. Check online. Sorry, can't recall author's name.