7 Time Management Tips For Genealogy Researchers

So now that you have your research plan under control - all you have to do is find the time to do the research.  I recently stumbled on a blog post by Kenneth Marks on The Ancestor Hunt that lists seven tips for getting down to the actual work.  It isn't always as simple as it seems. You can click on the link above to read the original blog post, or read an abbreviated version below.  Here are Kenneth's suggestions to make it easier for you get your research done.

1. Have an online plan - although I am a huge fan of "intuitive" and "stream  of consciousness" searching online - that should be only for a short time. Write yourself a research plan - for a person of interest, or a family, or a location. You will get a lot more results and won't be wasting time searching for the same thing over and over again.
2. Have an offline plan - if you plan to spend some time at an archive or genealogy section of a library, prepare a research plan BEFORE you get there. Don't just show up with your pedigree chart and hope for the best.
3. Get organized - 50 slips of paper with scrawled notes is not going to save you time. It will cost you time since you will always be looking through them.
4. Get off of social media sites - you heard me - although they can be useful as part of your education and can from time to time reap rewards in finding new "cousins" - social media can be a huge "time suck." Do you really have to look at your Twitter stream every 15 minutes? And Facebook and Google+ status updates and new posts will be there even if you don't check them every hour. So manage your time spent on social media and you will discover a lot more time for research.
5. How many genealogy blogs do you really NEED to read? - some people scan through (and read) over 50 blogs a day. Are you kidding me? I have less than 10 that I regularly read and I don't always read those. And I scan through titles - if it is really interesting I may flip to it and read it.
6. Manage your use of social media sites - it bears repeating. Manage this potential "time suck" well and you will have more research time - I guarantee it. Create Twitter lists, Facebook interest groups and Google+ circles for the folks that REALLY interest you regularly and you will save tons of time. Use notifications wisely and you won't be interrupted with a "ding" from your phone or PC every 3 minutes that entices you to look.
7. How much education do you really NEED? - For some folks, there isn't a webinar, hangout, or podcast that they would skip. Sure it's a good idea to acquire more knowledge, but for me if it gets in the way of research time - forget it. One might argue that increased knowledge might equate to "smarter" researching. True, but make sure that you have the proper balance.

I would add to this list one more item:  Set research goals - have a to-do list to help keep you on track.

So make a list, gather your research plan(s) and use your time wisely.  Before you know it, you will find yourself making progress.

-- submitted by Denise Doyon