Monday, December 27, 2010

Carnival of Genealogy 101 - My Genealogy Research/Writing Plan for 2011

The topic for the 101st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: My genealogy research/writing plan for 2011. Figure out what you think you can accomplish in 2011 and write it up on your blog. Then share it with us in the COG!

It is good to set goals and prepare a plan to help focus oneself. Now, we don't always achieve our goals or follow our plan but if we don't think about what we what to do, we can get scattered and accomplish little. Well that sounds good but I am not always the greatest planner and I am not always good at keeping focused but let's see if I can do it for the coming year.

Goal 1: Complete the book on the Soldiers from Knox United (then Presbyterian) in the First World War. Most of the research is done, I think. I may find out differently when I go to work on writing about each one. I have started the writing on about four or five. There are 23 men involved with two being siblings.
Plan: To focus on one a week, finishing research and writing. That will take me to the end of June.
To decide how I am going to publish it and distribute it. It is not meant to be for a large distribution but I wanted the information about them in writing so that it is preserved for future generations.

Publish by September 14, 2011 (92 years after the organ was dedicated in memory of these men).

Goal 2: To update the family history that I did for first for my brother and sister and then updated it again for my four Iles nephews. This is not a full blown history but it focuses on the main people in my parents' lines. My parents are the focus in the book. The first two versions were done for 3 ring binders done on my computer and printed out on my ink-jet printer. This time it will be for all my nieces, nephews and my siblings.

Plan: Add information to my genealogy software that I found while I was at Salt Lake City in August.
Add the appropriate people and information to the "book".
Review what I have and decide if there is further research that I could do to make the information and stories more appealing to non-genealogists.
Look for maps and photos that might be useful.
Decide on how it will be produced. - 10 copies needed.
To accomplish this all before Christmas 2011. 

How well I do on this will be dependent of course on what else is happening in my life. When you work as a freelance researcher, you do not know how much work you will have and when it will occur. I have two talks booked already. I am also President of two organizations. All I can do is my best and try to focus on these two goals.

© 2010 Janet Iles

3 comments:

  1. Very focused plan. I'm in the process now of figuring out my goals for my new blog. Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of Josef Gärtz, my grandfather, boarding the ship to America. Now I have to figure out how to proceed with the blog--and if I want to start a new blog.

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  2. Looks like a good plan for a busy woman! I can relate to the part about "dependent on what else is happening". I cut back one really time consuming thing last year so I could focus on what was really important to ME. It was a good move. "All I can do is my best" is the right way to look at things. Good luck with all you do!

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  3. Wow 92 years and you are making it happen kudos!

    J at Cow Hampshire

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