Every professional genealogist who conducts research on behalf of others should keep a detailed research log for every project. It holds them accountable to their clients for how they’ve used their time and it helps the researcher to stay organized and keep track of what they’ve done as they work.

But what if you’re not a professional? You don’t have strict deadlines or limits on your time, and you don’t have a client with a right to know exactly what you’ve done. So why should you keep a research log? 

A thorough research log is not a requirement for the hobby genealogist. It’s not necessary to write down every single click when you sign into Ancestry just to clean up some leaf hints. But it can be an invaluable tool when you’re working on solving a complicated problem in your tree, or looking to break through a brick wall that you may research on and off for years. It can help you to stay on task, and can keep you from wasting time. There are few things more frustrating than coming back to a question with no idea of where you left off or where you got the information in your tree.

So use this template to make life (research) easier for yourself!