We’ve all seen it. A few of us have even done it. We grab a book off the shelf, look in the index for a surname, don’t find it, and return the book to the shelf. We make no notation of book title, author, subject, or the surname we searched. How do we know we haven’t grabbed that book off the shelf before?

This practice is worse in the online world. Entering a surname in a search box and clicking to search is easy. We don’t have to reach for a book, open it, or scan the index. We point and click with no need to focus. Have you ever wondered how many times you have searched one Web site for the same information?

Keeping a research log for your online research is just as important as it is for your offline research. Perhaps it is more important because searching on the Internet can be simple and take little time once you find online databases and other searchable areas. However, you don’t save any time if you don’t keep track of what sites you have researched, what you have researched those sites for, and what those sites contain. Tracking your online research will help you to be a more effective researcher.

Your Online Research Log
Keeping a log of your online research is not difficult. In fact, it can be much easier than keeping a log on paper. While I’m on the Internet, I have my browser open for searching and I also have my research log open for making entries. I copy and paste the URL, page title, and other information from the browser to my research log. The URLs are correct and I save time. I keep my research log as a table in a Microsoft Word document. To make your own table, any word processing package that can create tables is sufficient. I also find that being able to sort the table is a distinct advantage. (Most current packages have this feature.) Advanced computer users may wish to use a database program instead of a word processor.

Deciding what URL to put in your research log can be a problem. Posting the URL from the search results page may result in excessively long entries, entries that are valid for only a short period of time, or entries that are invalid when the search mechanism is changed. For these reasons, I recommend pasting the URL of the initial search page.

Any research log should contain adequate detail. This is especially true with technology-based searches. My computerized research log contains six rows; other researchers may choose more. The surname row, the URL row, and the title/site row are useful for sorting purposes.

Although your search may often consist only of a surname, the surname and search rows should be separate. The actual search performed may be for the surname only, for the surname and a certain first name (or for a few different ones), or for several other items (a full name and a year of birth). It is important that the log contain this information.

Tracking exactly how you search is also important because search forms differ. A search in the Roots Surname List at RootsWeb is not performed the same as a search in Ancestry’s Social Security Death Index (SSDI). Your research log should reflect that and you should track each surname and first name pair that you search.

If you use any advanced search options, these should also be indicated, as they affect the search. Some sites allow Soundex-based searches in addition to strict name matches; some allow the use of wildcard characters (usually a “*”). If you search with the Soundex on or use a wildcard, indicate this in the search row. You need to know exactly what you searched for and when. Also, new information about your ancestor, additional information about the database itself, or your own improved searching skills all may necessitate another search.

Know What You Are Searching
Good researchers always read the introduction or preface to any index or other compilation to determine what records are included in the index, what difficulties were encountered with the records while creating the publication, and other pertinent details. Online researchers should attempt to locate similar information for online databases they are using as part of their genealogical research. This information is extremely important for any researcher. For example, the Illinois State Archives Civil War Soldier Index contains information about the index, how it was created, and how it was compiled. If I don’t find my ancestor at this site, at least I know what I searched and where he’s not located. As a researcher, I need this information.

Making Use of the Research Log
The research log allows you to keep track of past research and can also guide your current online research activities. Sorting the table by surname lets you easily see what sites you have searched for each surname; sorting the list by URL allows you to redo all the searches at a certain site should it be updated or changed (i.e., the monthly update of The Roots-L Surname List). Sorting your research log by any category can help you see gaps or oversights in your research. With a myriad of online sources available and more coming every day, none of us can remember what we have searched for at each site without the help of a research log.

Separate Surname or Site Logs
You might want to keep separate research logs for specific surnames or sites. Remember that while there are advantages (each individual log is smaller), there may be some inefficiencies in terms of online use. Maintaining separate logs for each surname requires you to go through each surname’s log when visiting a specific site. Keeping separate logs for each site requires you to go through each site’s log to locate a specific surname or ancestor. This will become unwieldy if you visit a significant number of sites.

A “Sites Visited” Log
It is difficult to remember every personal Web site you access in hopes of finding genealogical information. Frequently, genealogists use Cyndi’s List or a search engine to locate such sites. Logging information about the sites would serve the researcher well. The information included in this log should contain at least the date of visit, URL, page/site title, focus of page (if known), information found, and any other rows that might help you. Keep a separate entry for each surname. Then, as you search on HotBot, Altavista, or any of the search engines, you can look at your log and see what pages you have already visited.

Paper Logs
For those who don’t like alternating between their browser and their word processor, a paper log is possible, with rows similar to those in the log seen here. Since the data on a paper log can’t be sorted like the computerized version, you will probably find it easier to keep separate logs for surnames/individuals or sites used. With paper logs, rewriting the URL becomes repetitive and somewhat excessive. Bookmarking every site used on your browser is not necessarily the best alternative. For those who use paper logs, I suggest keeping a master list of the online sites used with their URLs. This way you only write them down once. Still, I think you will find it much easier to keep your research log on your computer. If you really want your log on paper, print it out after you compile it.

Warnings and Suggestions
Keeping adequate backups of your log is extremely important. Occasionally you may wish to print a dated version of the log so that you can file or recycle older versions. If you use sites that change frequently, you may wish to keep a separate listing of these sites with the last date you accessed them. Online research presents plenty of new challenges and opportunities to genealogists. Use a research log to keep track of them all.

Example of an Online Research Log
These are the six rows I use in my research log:

1. Surname
2. Date
3. URL
4. Title/Site
5. Search
6. Results

Here is a portion of my log, sorted by surname:

Demarrah
10 Aug 1997
http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/searches/rslsearch.html
Rootsweb Surname List
Demarrah
none

Lake
10 Aug 1997
http://w3.one.net/~durp/50cenidx.htm
1850 Mercer Co. KY Census
Searched for John Lake
See file: John LAKE—found him!

Mortier
12 Aug 1997
http://www.hotbot.com
HotBot Search Engine
Mortier (only)
65 hits—all checked

Trautvetter
16 Feb 1997
http://www.altavista.digital.com/cgi-bin/query?pg=aq
Altavista Advanced Search
traut*r AND gene*ogy
several sites. Nothing new. Tried wildcard search.

Ufkes
10 Aug 1997
http://www.bigfoot.com
Bigfoot E-mail Directory
Ufkes—last name
Found four—Jim, John, Susan, and Bubba—see file: UFKES-general

Michael John Neill has done genealogical research since the age of thirteen. Michael is currently a faculty member at Carl Sandburg College and is on the staff of the Genealogical Institute of Mid-America. He lectures frequently on many genealogy and computer topics. He has written articles for a wide variety of genealogical periodicals and is especially interested in genealogy research methods and education. Michael has a master’s degree in mathematics from Western Illinois University.