How to Organise Your Genealogy Research
Genealogy generates hundreds of files, screenshots, and notes. A simple organisation system - plus regular GEDCOM analysis - keeps your research efficient and shareable.
Why organisation matters more than software
Most genealogists eventually accumulate gigabytes of downloaded census images, certificate scans, photographs, and notes. Without a system, you end up downloading the same record twice, losing track of what you've already searched, and being unable to share findings with relatives.
A good system has three parts: consistent file names, a research log, and a single source of truth for your tree (your main genealogy software). GEDminer fits in as a recurring audit tool.
Step 1: Adopt a file naming convention
Pick one convention and apply it ruthlessly. A widely-used format is:
\SURNAME_Forename_YYYY_RecordType_Source.ext\
Examples:
- \
SMITH_John_1881_Census_NationalArchives.jpg\ - \
JONES_Mary_1903_Marriage_GRO.pdf\ - \
BROWN_William_1918_Probate_NationalArchives.pdf\
Benefits: files sort by surname, then chronologically by ancestor; the source is always visible; duplicates are obvious.
Step 2: Build a folder structure
A simple, scalable structure:
\\\ Genealogy/ Surnames/ Smith/ Jones/ Locations/ England_Yorkshire/ Documents/ Certificates/ Census/ Photos/ Research_Logs/ GEDCOM_Backups/ \\\
Keep everything in a cloud-synced folder (Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive) so you have automatic backup and can access files from any device.
Step 3: Maintain a research log
A research log records what you searched, where, when, and what you found (or didn't find). A spreadsheet works fine. Columns:
- Date searched
- Ancestor (name + birth year)
- Repository/website
- Search terms used
- Result (positive/negative/inconclusive)
- Notes / next steps
The value of a negative result is huge: it stops you from repeating the same fruitless search a year later.
Step 4: Use GEDminer as a periodic audit
Once a month, export a fresh GEDCOM from your main software and upload it to GEDminer. The Tree Health Score (Overview tab) shows whether your sourcing, completeness, and consistency are improving over time.
The Suggestions tab (Integrity > Suggestions) surfaces missing data and the Research Plan Generator (Discovery > Research Plan) creates a prioritised next-steps list. This becomes the input for your next research session.
Step 5: Back up everything
Adopt the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, on two different media, with one offsite copy.
- Copy 1: your computer's working files.
- Copy 2: an external hard drive updated weekly.
- Copy 3: cloud backup (Dropbox, iCloud, Backblaze).
Export a GEDCOM after every significant research session and save it with a date in the filename: \Tree_2026-04-25.ged\. Decades of research have been lost to a single hard drive failure.
Step 6: Make your research shareable
When sharing with relatives, send them a clean GEDCOM export plus a one-page summary of the surnames covered and the date ranges. Use GEDminer's Surname Filter (Directory > People) and Locations tab to generate quick statistics for your summary.
For sensitive trees, Presenter Mode (Settings > Appearance) lets you screenshot or share findings while obscuring living relatives' names and details.