Research Log Worksheet
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Start with the research objective at the top of the sheet, then log each source in the order you review it, including any that turned up nothing, so that search isn't repeated later. Keep each source's status current as you go.
Versions — The form has two versions which can be selected from the Version list above the form: the Fillable version, filled in on screen, and the Print blank version, a blank copy for filling in by hand.
Printing — Print opens the browser's print window, where the form can be printed or saved as a PDF instead.
Continuation pages — When more entries are needed beyond the first page, a continuation page provides more space. In the Fillable version, "Add a page" at the bottom of the form adds another, with the names and profile IDs carried over from the first. For a page filled in by hand, choose Print blank under Version and Continuation under Page, then print it as many times as needed.
Page no. — A page number line can be added to a single sheet.
Name — A person is named in full, with a woman's birth surname (maiden name) rather than a married one. The birth surname connects her to her parents' family and to the records made before her marriage.
Profile ID — A profile ID can be whatever identifier the researcher chooses: the ID a family tree or database gives a person's profile, such as a FamilySearch ID, or one from the researcher's own numbering system. A consistent system across a body of research gives the same person the same ID on every form. The ID ties the form to one specific person where a name alone could fit several, and makes that person quick to find again.
The objective identifies the question, problem, or reason for the research or analysis. It provides context for the work and helps focus the evaluation of the information and evidence being considered. Recording the objective preserves what the research or analysis was intended to address, which can be especially useful when returning to the work later and the original question or purpose is no longer clear.
A Source ID is a short identifier the researcher gives a source, so it can be referred to elsewhere, in the notes or on another form, without writing out its title and citation again. Like a profile ID, it works best from one consistent system across a body of research, so the same source carries the same ID wherever it appears.
The citation identifies the source fully enough to find it again: who created it, what it is, and the repository that holds it, such as an archive, a library, or a website, down to the call number, film, or web address that leads back to it. Together with the title, it makes it possible to recognize what was reviewed and retrieve the exact material again without searching for it a second time.
The three lines below each source hold what the search was for and what it turned up: its purpose, the search parameters, any discrepancies and theories, and the relevant information found. The purpose is narrower than the objective at the top of the sheet, which serves the whole log, and it shows what's left: a source searched for a death date may still hold a marriage no one looked for. A finding may answer the objective or raise doubts about it, concern someone else, or simply be useful when the research is picked up later, and a search that found nothing is a finding too. Recording them preserves the results of the research without requiring the source to be reviewed again.
The status shows where the review of a source stands. "Stopped on page" shows where the review left off, so it can be picked up there later without repeating the work, and Reviewed? is marked once the whole source has been gone through.
Matches? shows whether the information found appears to relate to the person named at the top of the sheet: Yes or No. A matching name alone is not enough to establish that a record belongs to that person; other identifying information and the available evidence may support, contradict, or leave the connection uncertain. With neither box marked, the connection is still undetermined.
Next steps and notes provide a summary of the work and its current status. They may include what was researched or analyzed, what was determined, what remains unresolved, the conclusion reached, and questions or ideas for further research. This gives a quick overview, making it easier to return to later without having to review the entire form again.
An identifier for a specific form. The same identifier goes on every page of the form, so pages that become separated can be put back together, and another form can refer to it.
The prefix is unique to each type of form. The rest, up to four characters, is chosen by the researcher and can be numbers, letters, or both. Combining letters with numbers allows more forms to be referenced with fewer characters. Each Quick Reference chart carries a fixed identifier instead, such as "QRC-C2", which names the chart itself and has nothing to fill in.