On every intake of  the Pharos Introduction to One-Name Studies course one of the questions that is always asked, earlier than it appears in the course is how to keep and organise a study.

I have planned a series on that, giving some hints and tips to help researchers along the way. I can share how I do my study and how I keep it, but every researcher needs to find a way that works for them and is comfortable. Otherwise, the study will stop being enjoyable.

So here are a few considerations about organising your research and in particular your One-Name Study, some of which will be dependent on when you started your study

• When did you start your study? Before the internet or after?
• How do you keep your study? On paper, card index, spreadsheets or in a genealogical programme?
• How do you want to keep your study? Go paperless?
• What do you want to do with the study? Do you want to share it with the public and have a website?
• How many others are assisting you on your study or are you working alone?
• What is core data set that is your starting point for your study?
• Do you have a back up of your research material?
• Are you wanting to reconstruct families or collect data sets or a combination of the two?

However you answer those questions will influence the way in which you organise your study; and furthermore, there may be no quick win for processing the data. If you started 30 years ago and have reams of notes and certificates and now want to create a website then you will need to retype or at least spend time undertaking some data entry.

That is me and I do spend some time each week entering material into my genealogical programme as soon as the material is entered I discard the paper (unless it is an certificate or document). Over the next few days there is some overlapping of topics and I would always recommend that those undertaking a study & the course think about the questions above before making decisions.