Organizing Documents with Software You Already Have can offer ideas on how to organize your genealogical documents on your pc.
(If you previously attempted to open the file and you use an older version of MS Word (I use 2007), there were some glitches. So, I uploaded the file in pdf format which should resolve the problem. However, you will need Adobe Reader. Most people have this already installed on their pcs. If you don’t, there is a link to on the right of this page, under “Blogroll.”)
What format is this article written in? I can’t find anything that will open it. What I get in Wordpad is this sort of thing:
å©»¹<«2µÃ §üëÑÃ%LD†§iõW±hRºÔçÄõ¤/A¸_ʾCåÓ·3}î,Ò}™+à“C}ߥ n-ÿZ²
I use MS Word 2007 which apparently creates a different format of file than earlier versions of Word. Even saving the file as a 2003 document did not resolve the problem.
So I switched the format to pdf and tested it on 3 computers (yeah, we are a techno-geek family.) Hopefully, this takes care of the problem.
Thanks for everyone’s patience and feedback.
I have now had an opportunity to read about your filing system and find it very interesting. With the use of the Windows Indexing Service, yours has the potential of being an extremely comprehensive system.
It is similar to one I use myself in being another digitally-focused filing system, although different in the details.
I think your use of File Properties would make a very good addition to what I’ve already worked out, and perhaps vice versa. I will be directing my own blog readers to your ideas. It will not change what people are already doing, just add another element to it. You can find my articles on MRIN filing at http://www3.telus.net/Jgen/mrin_digital_filing.html
and recap at http://www3.telus.net/Jgen/2007-06-01-mrin_filing_revisited.shtml
and an extra tool at http://www3.telus.net/Jgen/2007-06-26-another_mrin_fs_tip.shtml
The MRIN Filing System is essentially a paper-based system, for which I’ve developed a digital component. With my methods, people may or may not keep the paper copies as well. Sometimes documents only exist on paper because they’re not easily scan-able. So, there’s a place for both. Generally, I find it easier to access my digital information than to go digging through boxes of paper and one need not fear paper-rot.
For anyone using your methods already, the MRIN digital filing system would also tie documents to specific positions in a database. If you have a look you’ll see what I mean.
Thanks for the kind words. I am thoroughly delighted that you found a way to adapt it to your needs.
Your personal adaptation helps solidify a point I made in the article: the structure that I employ in the article is based upon my cognitive structure, but I don’t suggest that others need to adopt it exactly (or even remotely). I started by thinking about I mentally classify my sources. Another researcher may conceptualize the very same set of records using another schema or cognitive map, such as the MRIN system.
I am 99.99% digital in my genealogy record keeping. I’ve been using this system since 2003/04. Searches for any record on my computer takes seconds to find. So I feel that it is a very successful system for me.
For the record, I use The Master Genealogist® (TMG) which allows me to link external files (e.g., PDF, JPG) to an event and/or a person. So if I want to see all the records relevant to my 4th great grandfather, or the multitude of records related to his military service, I can easily do that from within TMG.
But I don’t have to open TMG to find the record. If I can vaguely recall something about the record that I’m looking for, I can access it quickly. It is effectively organized and indexed through Windows®. I think that other genealogy database packages offer similar external link capabilities, but I am woefully ignorant of which ones.
To address oversize documents read my post “Digitizing Oversized Documents.”
Sharon
I have now posted an article giving some ideas about how to use some aspects of your filing system to expand on the digital component of the MRIN filing system.
http://www3.telus.net/Jgen/2007-07-21-file_properties.shtml
The MRIN system files documents by number so any other information one might want to search for later would have to be added to the File Properties box.
I have noticed that File Properties cannot be added to bitmaps, gif’s or png’s so any such graphics files would need to be converted first. I’ve found that both jpg’s and tiff’s work fine. FastStone Viewer, for instance, has a handy batch conversion tool.
I’m a Legacy user and the MRIN system is easily accomplished by cross-referencing numbers on the digital documents to source citation file ID numbers in the database. I don’t know for sure but suspect any genealogy database would have a similar place for optional numbering.
Just curious – what system do you use for organizing photographs?
JL,
I am uploading a short article on that topic. Look for it under “Organizing Photos.
Sharon, I recently learned of the MRIN system for organizing paper information, and would like to start using this within Master Genealogist. As I see you use TMG, I am interested in how you initially set up MRINs within it. I presume one would use the reference field (though I also wondered about using tags, but I guess this wouldn’t let me print an alpha-index?). Anyway, if using the reference field, do I assign the MRINs manually? How do you handle it when an individual marries several times? Can I get reports to print the parent’s MRIN on family group sheets? Any other hints or suggestions? Thank you!
Jamie,
I don’t use MRIN. Another researcher uses that software, but I cannot say if he/she uses TMG. The setup that I have for organizing files on my pc are independent of both software packages.
Having said that, TMG allows you to link files within it, including photographs, scanned images and even pdf files, which represents the bulk of my documents. That is accomplished through the “exhibit log.” Since there others who are far more knowledgeable about TMG than I, I want to direct you to those websites:
http://www.wholygenes.com — they have a support forum
http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Software/TMG.html — the mailing list for TMG Users (very good, very active, monitored by the best of users).
There is a good chance that someone on one of those sites can tell you what you want to know.
Thanks, Sharon!
[...] picked up some ideas from an article by Sharon Gayle called Organizing Documents on your pc with software you already have. Whether you’re using the MRIN Filing System or not, there’s some ideas here for [...]