A free plan for one person’s family history research
Genealogy research checklist you can fill in and print.
Choose a person, mark the record types you want to check and keep each source beside your next step. A blank row can wait; a found record can still need verification.
12 optional research topics · Search statuses and source notes · Text download · Blank or filled printing · No account
Getting the worksheet ready…
Plan the next search without losing the last one
Start with one person or label and the places and years that matter to your question. Choose a topic and mark your search status. Use the notes to describe what you looked for; use the source field for the collection, repository, URL, page, image or search date. Write a next step that you can carry out, such as comparing a register entry with an image.
The National Archives introduction to genealogy research identifies census, military, immigration, naturalization and land records among frequently used holdings. Its research topics directory links to guides for these and other record types. This original MemoirWell checklist offers a broader set of optional planning topics. It does not imply that every record exists, is open online or is held by the National Archives.
Use a search status, not a certainty score
“Record located” means you have found something to examine; it does not establish that it belongs to this person or that every detail is correct. For “Searched — no result,” note the collection, date range and spellings you tried. A search with no result does not prove that a record never existed. Mark “Not applicable” when a topic does not fit your question.
A fictional example
Person: Jo Zebulon, born around 1880. Topic: Directories and other local records. Status: Record located. Search notes: A Jo Zebulon appears in an Exampletown directory. Source and uncertainty: Directory scan, page 42; I have not confirmed that this is the same Jo. Next step: Compare the address with another household record.
Before you save the checklist
Is this a free printable genealogy research checklist?
Yes. A checklist with no topic changes prints all twelve topics with blank boxes for To check, Located, No result and N/A, plus writing lines. Filled printing and the text download include topics with notes or a selected status and skip untouched topics. A source-only topic is included too.
How is it different from the research log?
This checklist gives you an overview of record types to consider for one person. The separate genealogy research log lets you keep individual searches and results. Neither searches a database, verifies a relationship or produces automatic citations.
Are my research notes uploaded or saved?
They stay only in this page’s memory. They are not uploaded or autosaved; refreshing or closing clears them. Download text or print before leaving. Saved TXT or PDF copies cannot be reopened as an editable checklist here. Include only details you want in your saved copy.
Can I print or save a PDF before every topic is finished?
Yes. Choose Review my checklist, then Print or save PDF. Browser-menu printing also works from the editor. Choose Letter or A4 and check the preview. The overview and field labels keep your original topic numbers; long notes can continue onto later pages. This is a flexible research aid, not a complete or mandatory list of records.
What story is behind the record?
Save your checklist first. MemoirWell’s separate guided interview can help you develop your own memory into an AI-assisted draft chapter to check and edit. These research notes are not transferred automatically.
Start a free first chapterDownload or print your checklist before leaving this page.