2013 Research Goals

It's hard to believe that it's 2013 already!  This past year seemed to just fly by.

I don't normally make New Years Resolutions but I do like to take time through out the year to reevaluate how things are going.  There is always room for improvement, right?

Looking back at my blog, it looks like I didn't post any goals in 2012, but I did in 2011. 

My 2011 goals were:

Organization:  I have a huge amount of documents and scanned images that need to be organized.  I'm working to finish my pc hard drive organization.  Get all the files in their proper place and linked into my genealogy software.

Scanning:  I would like to finish scanning in my older photos and the newer ones taken before I started having them put on CD's.

Research:  I would like to order the BMD (Birth, Marriage, Death) certificates for for my direct ancestors that I'm missing.
I would like to get a subscription to the Swedish online archives.  My Great Grandfather Oscar Anderson came from Sweden and I would like to find his family there.
Keep searching for the marriage info on Frederick Robichaud and Elizabeth Gallant.  They are the parents of my  Great Grandmother.  I have Frederic's info from his second marriage, but have been unable to find Elizabeth's parents.
I would also LOVE to find some photos of my father when he was a young man or boy.

 Looking back many of these goals were not accomplished in 2011, but they were in 2012!

Starting with my organizational goal.
 I have a huge amount of documents and scanned images that need to be organized.  I'm working to finish my pc hard drive organization.  Get all the files in their proper place and linked into my genealogy software.

I have scanned a large amount of papers and photos.  Yes there are more to come, but I've made a big dent in it.  I've also worked out a system for storing documents and photos on my computer.

My scanning goal.
 I would like to finish scanning in my older photos and the newer ones taken before I started having them put on CD's.

I did scan most of my older photos and have them backed up to dropbox.  I still have some of the newer photos to scan.  These are ones taken in the last 20ish years.

Research goal.
 I would like to order the BMD (Birth, Marriage, Death) certificates for for my direct ancestors that I'm missing.
I would like to get a subscription to the Swedish online archives.  My Great Grandfather Oscar Anderson came from Sweden and I would like to find his family there.
Keep searching for the marriage info on Frederick Robichaud and Elizabeth Gallant.  They are the parents of my  Great Grandmother.  I have Frederick's info from his second marriage, but have been unable to find Elizabeth's parents.
I would also LOVE to find some photos of my father when he was a young man or boy. 


I'm happy to say in 2012 I was able to accomplish most of these goals!  Ordering the BMD records for my direct ancestors, well money has been a bit tight this past few years so I'm still working on that.  But I have been able to fill in a lot of them with the free images on Family Search.

I didn't get a subscription to the Swedish archives.  However Ancestry bought Genlines and now has the Swedish records as part of their collection.  That has been a big help!  If you have access to the library addition from home, you can search it any time with out a subscription.
Arkiv Digital is another great site and they offer a few free weekends a year.

My Frederick Robichaud and Elizabeth Gallant, marriage has been found.  At least the Northumberland County copy.  I did already have a transcription of it, but the image had some more details.   The local parish one that would have more details is still missing.  With all the researchers, archives and pro. genealogists who have looked for it, I'm beginning to think it has been lost.  Yet I have been able to use other resources to confirm Eliza parents.  More on that puzzle to come!

And last but certainly not least, my fathers photos.  A cousin (thank you!!) was able to find some photos of my father as a boy and young man and sent me some scans.  It was amazing to see how much our son looked like my dad when he was little!   I had to laugh at one with my dad crying and he looked to be about 2 or 3.  My son who is 4 has the same pout!

Looking back over this year I've made a great headway in breaking down some brick walls.  I've been so blessed to find new cousins who have an interest in genealogy.

Now looking at my goals for 2013.

I would like to focus on some brick walls, especially my Irish ones.  I'm currently working on my Smith (oy, yes Smith!) Irish line.  I'm making steps towards breaking it down.
I would also like to keep working on my Irish Stinson line.

Now I tend to jump around a lot in my research.  I seem to spend a few weeks on one line, then jump to another when I stumble on to information for it.  This has both good and bad sides.  The good is I find more data and connections then I was expecting.  The bad is it's easy to forget what you were doing with the first line.  To fix this I want to make better use of my research logs.  RootsMagic has a great research log in it's program.  My problem is remembering to use it!  So this year I would like to get in the habit of writing down each step and source I check.
This should make it easier to come back to a line after spending time working on another.

I would like to get caught up on my data entry.  I have a lot of info I've found this past year sitting her saved in notes or paper piles that need to be entered.  I would like to think I would do all this before moving on in research.  I know I should, but likely that wont happen! lol
So I would like to spend at least a few hours a week working on just this project.

This past year I was gifted with a Family Finder DNA test and it has been an amazing help in my research.  It has helped to solve a brick wall and confirm other lines.   However I have many cousins I'm matching at the 3rd and 4th cousin relationship that we can not figure out how we are related yet.  I would like to keep working on finding the puzzle peaces here.

I would also like to get in the habit of blogging more.  I often plan to sit here and write, but then I get distracted researching and before I know it it's midnight or later. 

So in summary I would like to:
  1. Spend more time working on my Irish brick walls.
  2. Make better use of research logs.
  3. Catch up on the data entry backlog .
  4. Keep learning about DNA and try to figure out some mystery connections there.
  5. Blog more!
I think these are all doable and they don't just apply to 2013, but to years of research.

What are your family history goals?



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