Genealogy research plan you can fill in and print.

Make the next search specific enough to use

Write a question about a person, event or relationship. Summarize what the sources you have already consulted report, including references and conflicting details. If you have a possible explanation, label it as provisional. For each planned search, identify a record or source, where it might be available, the relevant place and period, and how it could answer or challenge the question.

The American Ancestors research-template catalog describes a plan built around a question, relevant records, coverage for a place and period, and possible repositories. Family Tree Magazine’s research-planning guide also explains the value of reviewing known information, forming a working hypothesis and identifying practical steps for consulting sources. This is an original worksheet for your own plan.

Keep a planned search separate from a completed one

A repository may not have the coverage you need, a record may be missing, or a proposed match may turn out to concern someone else. Keep these questions visible as you plan. When you consult the source, use a research log to record what you searched and what you found, including a search with no result. You can revise this plan as the evidence changes.

A fictional example

Question: Where was Jo Zebulon living before the family moved to Exampletown? Known clue: An undated family letter mentions a place called Oak Grove; its county is not given. Provisional explanation: The letter might describe an earlier residence, but that has not been established. Planned search: Check a directory covering the relevant years, first confirming the locality and coverage in the library catalog. Purpose: Compare the entry’s household and address with independent family clues.