# Genealogy research log: a template and worked example > Learn what to record in a genealogy research log, including searches, citations, negative results, findings, conflicts and the next useful action. By Oleg Khmelnytskyi, Wiserta founder (https://wiserta.com/about#founder). Updated 2026-09-26. Canonical page: https://wiserta.com/genealogy-research-log > **The short answer** > For every genealogy search, record the question, date, repository or database, collection and coverage, exact terms or browse path, result, source citation and next action. Log unsuccessful searches as carefully as successful ones. Complete the row while the source is open so you can repeat, evaluate or deliberately avoid the search later. A genealogy research log is not a diary of everything you thought about. It is the audit trail of a research question: where you looked, how you looked, what you found and what should happen next. Without it, the same searches are repeated, negative evidence disappears and a saved image becomes detached from the reason it mattered. ## A free genealogy research log template Copy these fields into a notebook or spreadsheet, or use the existing [free Genealogy Starter Tools](/free/genealogy-starter-sheets) for a printable research log, pedigree and source sheet in A4 and US Letter. - Research question: - Person or family and identifying facts: - Search date and researcher: - Repository and collection: - Place, dates and coverage checked: - Exact search terms or image range: - Result, including searches with no match: - Source ID and citation: - What this supports / what remains uncertain: - Next action: Keep one search per entry. A blank result is ambiguous; write what you checked and what you did not find. ## One log per focused question Use one research log for a question that can be answered or revised. For example: > Who were the parents of Ellen Carter, who married Thomas Reed in Franklin County, Ohio, around 1888? Put that question at the top of the log. Add the known facts and source IDs that define the correct person. If the question changes, start a new section or log rather than quietly changing the target. → [Build a focused genealogy research plan](/genealogy-research-plan-beginners) ## The essential research-log fields ### Date and researcher Record when the search happened and who performed it. Database contents, links and access conditions change. ### Repository, website or person contacted Name the institution or service, not only “online.” If you searched a local archive catalogue and then a digitized collection hosted elsewhere, record both roles. ### Collection and coverage Write the collection title plus the place, dates and record type it actually covers. “Searched census” is not enough. A collection may omit a county, begin after the target year or contain images that are not fully indexed. ### Exact search or browse path Record the terms, filters, spelling variations and date range. If you browsed images, note film, volume, page or image numbers and the range checked. ### Result State what appeared, including no result. Distinguish a likely match from a confirmed identity. ### Source reference Give a stable source ID and enough citation information to retrieve the material again. ### Interpretation and next action Write what the result changes, what remains uncertain and the next smallest search. ## A completed example This is a fictional teaching example, not a verified record or a claim about the named people. - Question: Who were Ellen Carter's parents? - Date: 2026-08-13 - Repository: FamilySearch - Collection: Ohio County Marriages, 1789–2016; Franklin County - Search: Ellen Carter; surname variants Carter/Corter; - marriage 1885–1892; spouse Thomas Reed - Result: No indexed result. Browsed register images 214–246; - page 231 contains Thomas Reed / Ellen C. Carter marriage. - Source ID: SRC-2026-0042 - Finding: Bride listed as Ellen C. Carter, age 21; no parents named. - Next action: Search church register named in margin; identify witnesses. The row preserves both the failed index search and the successful image browse. That difference matters when deciding whether an absent search result is meaningful. ## Why negative results belong in the log “Nothing found” can mean several different things: - the person is not present; - the record never existed; - the relevant year is missing; - the collection excludes the jurisdiction; - the index omitted or mistranscribed the entry; - the search terms were too narrow; - access was incomplete; - identity was not recognized. Write which kind of negative result you have. “No result for exact surname in indexed fields; collection covers correct county and year; browse not completed” is far more useful than “nothing.” Negative results become evidence only when the search was reasonably capable of finding the expected record. Do not claim absence when you have searched only one spelling or a partial index. ## Log before downloading A safe sequence is: 1. open the record and confirm collection context; 2. create the research-log row; 3. assign a source identifier; 4. download the complete image or document; 5. record citation details and local filename; 6. note the claims it may support; 7. write the next action. If you download first, the browser or app may assign a meaningless filename and you may not be able to reconstruct the image number later. ## Record enough to repeat the search Another researcher—or you six months later—should be able to follow the row. Include: - exact name variants; - wildcards or sound-based settings; - date and place filters; - relatives included in the query; - whether results were sorted or limited; - catalogue path or collection number; - image range manually browsed; - access date for changing online material. A pasted search-result URL may expire or contain a session token. Keep it as a convenience, not as the only description of the search. ## Separate finding from conclusion The **finding** is what the source says. The **conclusion** is what you believe after comparing sources. Finding: “1880 census household includes Ellen Carter, age 14, relationship daughter.” Conclusion: “Likely the later Ellen Carter Reed because age, county and sibling names align; not yet proved.” Keep these in separate fields. One record should rarely turn “likely” into “certain” without identity analysis. ## Connect the log to citations and files Every successful row should point to: - the local source filename; - the full citation or source note; - the person/event claims affected; - any transcript or translation; - related rows in the same research question. Use a source ID rather than copying a long citation into every field. The source catalogue can hold the complete details; the log shows how the source entered the research. → [Cite genealogy sources consistently](/cite-genealogy-sources-beginners) ## Paper, spreadsheet or genealogy software? The best format is the one you will complete during research. **Paper** works well in archives and beside a physical binder. Number pages and file them with the relevant project. **Spreadsheet** supports filtering, sorting and one row per search. Keep long interpretation notes in a linked project document if cells become unreadable. **Genealogy software** may connect tasks, sources and people, but confirm that logs can be exported and backed up. A private notes field is not necessarily a structured research log. You can use paper in the repository and transfer it later, but mark when the transfer is complete and retain the original until checked. ## Review the log before searching again At the beginning of a session: 1. read the research question; 2. review the last three rows; 3. confirm the next action; 4. check whether a source is already downloaded; 5. look for untested variants or incomplete image ranges. At the end: 1. finish the current row; 2. connect downloaded files; 3. update the conclusion only if evidence supports it; 4. write one next action; 5. back up the log and sources. ## Common research-log failures ### Recording only successful searches This guarantees repeated work and overstates how thoroughly a question was investigated. ### Writing “Ancestry” or “FamilySearch” as the source Those are platforms or repositories. Record the collection, original record context, image/page and access details. ### Copying hints into the tree without logging the evaluation A hint is a lead. The log should show why the record belongs to the person—or why it does not. ### Letting the log become a to-do list Keep future actions in a separate column. Do not mix planned searches with completed ones. ### Rewriting old rows to match a new conclusion Preserve what was searched and believed at the time. Add a dated correction or new row so the reasoning trail remains visible. ## Start with a free research log The [Genealogy Starter Tools](/free/genealogy-starter-sheets) include a printable and fillable research log plus a pedigree and source sheet. For the complete structure around it, read [How to organize genealogy research](/genealogy-organization). ## Sources and further guidance - [FamilySearch: Research Logs](https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/lessons/research-logs-part-1) - [FamilySearch Research Logs Handout](https://cms-b-assets.familysearch.org/60/a3/5b8417474b28c6eddabdf613d49a/research-logs-handout.pdf) ## When to use a larger research binder The free log is enough to test the method on one question. If you want charts, research logs and source trackers together, compare [The Ancestor File](/shop/the-ancestor-file). It is a paid digital printable; a physical binder is not shipped. Use the [family history binder guide](/build-family-history-binder) to choose sections before printing a whole set.