Using 'notes'

[The Wheeler Family]

I read in a thread here somewhere that this person prefers to write a biography of the person in 'notes' rather than (or is it as well as?) using 'events' which just generates a list of facts and figures.

How is this information then presented in a report, say a Family File Report?

Do you still include the facts and figures or just the biography?

[donworth]

Re: Using 'notes'

I'm guessing that you are referring to one of my posts.

I use the NOTES field to store biographies as well as genealogical notes (including timelines sometimes). For example:

http://www.bishir.org/getperson.php?personID=I664&tree=bishir

As you can see, the notes start with a biography, followed (by my convention) by the word "RESEARCH" then I have all my "loose ends" - a timeline of potential records that might be applicable to the person and other scattered information that I haven't been able to confirm yet. When I run the data out into a Register Report, the entire NOTES field goes into the report. As I put the report into my page layout program, I manually delete everything after the RESEARCH: tag. The boundary between bio and research data is a bit fuzzy sometimes. For example, when I did my LEE book I added to the bio to explain where my findings were still a bit conjectural and why. This one is an example:

http://www.bishir.org/gen/getperson.php?personID=I1024&tree=carleybisher

Hope that helps!

Don

[Bob White]

Re: Using 'notes'

Or it may have been something I said. I use an approach similar to Don and do not have one single source in my family file. I have a narrative of my findings followed by a "Notes" section showing source information and work notes. I have two reasons for working this way.

First, while working with one person, I want everything right in front of my face. I do not want to be clicking around to see what information is in a numbered source and maybe going back and forth several times. Simply put, I see source records as getting in the way of working efficiently.

Second, when I do a report, such as a register report, I want the information, including source data, with the person's information as opposed to a list many pages away. <smile> The back and forth thing again!

This is not a criticism of Reunion. Most of the genealogy software available are quite similar in the way they do source records and organize reports. Very likely, I would do this in any situation. And, now you know why I never try to answer source questions in ReunionTalk.

[The Wheeler Family]

Re: Using 'notes'

I'm guessing that you are referring to one of my posts.

I use the NOTES field to store biographies as well as genealogical notes (including timelines sometimes). For example:

http://www.bishir.org/getperson.php?personID=I664&tree=bishir

As you can see, the notes start with a biography, followed (by my convention) by the word "RESEARCH" then I have all my "loose ends" - a timeline of potential records that might be applicable to the person and other scattered information that I haven't been able to confirm yet. When I run the data out into a Register Report, the entire NOTES field goes into the report. As I put the report into my page layout program, I manually delete everything after the RESEARCH: tag. The boundary between bio and research data is a bit fuzzy sometimes. For example, when I did my LEE book I added to the bio to explain where my findings were still a bit conjectural and why. This one is an example:

http://www.bishir.org/gen/getperson.php?personID=I1024&tree=carleybisher

Hope that helps!

Don

Thank-you to you both for your replies.

Just so I'm clear on what you have done... your 'notes' are a narrative/summary of the facts and figures you have found in your research?

[Bob White]

Re: Using 'notes'

... your 'notes' are a narrative/summary of the facts and figures you have found in your research?

Yes.

[Charles Bourland]

Re: Using 'notes'

I read in a thread here somewhere that this person prefers to write a biography of the person in 'notes' rather than (or is it as well as?) using 'events' which just generates a list of facts and figures.

How is this information then presented in a report, say a Family File Report?

Do you still include the facts and figures or just the biography?

If you will send me your email address I will send you a Wheeler example as I descend from Thomas (1465) to Henry (1503) to John (1533) etc etc.
crbourland@comcast.net