Thoughts on navigating around walls and organization

Some days I sit down to do some research and I'm just not sure where to start. Today was one of those days. When I get stuck I try and track down the ancestor with the highest number of hints available and begin from there.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to visualize my tree as a whole, as this would help me see areas where more research is needed. There are ways to construct a variety of documents with Family Tree Maker but I haven't located the one that provides me with what I'm looking for.

Lately I have been keeping busy analyzing applications for membership into the Sons of the American Revolution. I assume this is a rather new collection on ancestry as I haven't noticed many of these hints in the past. These have been quite interesting and a great way to compare specifics such as dates and spellings. The differences between applications do highlight the importance of being skeptical about sources.

The perfectionist side of me is sometimes disappointed that there isn't a fool-proof way to figure out what information is correct and what isn't. This is quickly overshadowed by the logical side of me that is perfectly thrilled with access to sources in the first place.

In an attempt to keep my sources organized I save them as images and Picasa captures them automatically in a specific folder. I usually add the names of those who are listed on the record so that I can easily search for all of the items I have saved for that individual. So far this is working.