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    Research Tools & Tips For The Road?

    Even with this interweb thingy there is sometimes still the need to conduct research on-site.

    My first stop will be at the local library to review BMD records, then to the archives office, then perhaps to the local land registry, all of which are 5,000km away. I intend to take my iPad with ReunionTouch and a good quality digital camera for documentation. I think I will invest in a keyboard for my iPad.

    What tools do you use while researching on the road? Do you add some data straight into ReunionTouch or simply use it as a reference?

    Any tips for research on the road?
    ``````````````````````````````
    Grant

    #2
    First of all do most of your research online, THEN visit the places you need to armed with information. Doing any sort of genealogy when away from home is incredibly time consuming. I would say add the "Adobe Scan" app to your smart phone. This can be used to copy documents. Also ad a "QR Scanner" app. With a relatively new smart phone a digital camera is redundant, unless you have other uses for it. Good luck. Keep us posted. Nic Maennling, Lanark, Ontario, Canada
    Nic Maennling
    Lanark, Ontario
    Canada

    Comment


      #3
      I agree on a good smart phone instead of a digital camera. It's easier to hold over what you need to photograph and they have good image stabilization in lower light. Learn how to adjust the exposure. On an iphone, tap the screen on the area that needs to be brighter. A yellow square outline will appear. To the right will be a yellow sun icon on a vertical line. Swipe up to brighten, down to darken.

      I'd also buy camouflage for your ipad to make it less obvious to potential thieves. Besides, it looks cool I have what looks like an old red leather book for my macbook pro, but they are also available for the ipad and iphone in red or brown. It's called a Book Book. For the ipad one see https://www.twelvesouth.com/products...30179687366713

      And, while I'm at it, I've been using silicone keyboard covers for my MacBook. They have a variety of styles. I bought a large print, high contrast one for my elderly mom and mine shows keyboard shortcuts. Taught me how to do a partial screen shot. But it keeps debris out and gives some protection against accidental moisture drops.


      Rambling off on another tangent. I like the free Nimbus screen shot app as well.


      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Nic Maennling View Post
        First of all do most of your research online, THEN visit the places you need to armed with information. Doing any sort of genealogy when away from home is incredibly time consuming. I would say add the "Adobe Scan" app to your smart phone. This can be used to copy documents. Also ad a "QR Scanner" app. With a relatively new smart phone a digital camera is redundant, unless you have other uses for it. Good luck. Keep us posted. Nic Maennling, Lanark, Ontario, Canada
        Thanks Nic. I have plans to be in the Port Hope library this spring/summer to plug some of those gaps.

        Do you do any data entry in ReunionTouch while on the road or do you use some other means of reporting?
        ``````````````````````````````
        Grant

        Comment


          #5
          I have very successfully used a foldable iPad stand to hold my iPhone perfectly parallel to the table in libraries and archives to allow for photographing documents and books. This is the stand I use: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32962234341.html on Aliexpress, and https://www.amazon.com/StillCool-Uni...dp/B01M0GJSIZ/ on Amazon. It's the smallest and easiest way to scan documents. You need decent lighting, but sitting at a table near a window is usually sufficient. I just used it this week in a library where I couldn't get a seat near a window, but they had lights at each desk and it worked okay. You could of course use an iPad for this, although I don't know the quality of the iPad camera. The iPhone X camera I use is definitely good enough for scannign documents. Good luck.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Nic Maennling View Post
            ..........I would say add the "Adobe Scan" app to your smart phone. This can be used to copy documents. ..........
            There are several good scanner apps for smart phones. I would recommend Prizmo because it automatically detects edges and automatically adjusts for lighting situations. Also, one can scan documents with the Notes app. (Tap the Write icon to start a new note; tap the camera icon; menu presents where first choice is Scan Documents.) Genius Scan and Scanner Pro are also pretty decent. And practice a little before you hit the road.
            Bob White, Mac Nut Since 1985, Reunion Nut Since 1991
            Jenanyan, Barnes, White, Duncan, Dunning, Luce, Hedge and more
            iMac/MacBookAir M1 - iPhonePro/iPadPro - Reunion13 & RT

            Comment


              #7
              Bob White, I have Notes on my iPhone 6 but there is no camera icon? Where do you see that?

              Comment


                #8
                I've given presentations at genealogy societies on How to Prepare for a Research Trips. Five handouts from that are attached. Some (if not much) of it may seem like way too much detail for any particular trip, but it should give you some good tips overall. The "Cover Sheet" is something that just helps you compile the basic info you need to have with you for each research destination -- you can find and copy/paste most of it from their website. I had one for each place I was going to, and kept them in a binder (or paper-type folder with brads for 3-hole punched pages).

                The "Philadelphia Daily Research Calendar" is a sample that I've used when I had many places to visit in one week. The BOTTOM grid is filled in first, with the open days/hours for each place. Then I filed in my daily calendar at the top (easier to see when it's at the top), charting out where I'd go on what days according to when they were open. The three rows on the calendar are for morning, afternoon, and evening. (Wednesday seems to be a popular day for genealogy places to be open in the evening.)

                The most important things to remember:
                1) Use their online catalogs to figure out -- IN ADVANCE -- what you want to see when you get there. Make a list, something like the "BOOKS to Check" attachment. It costs so much in time and money to make these trips, you want to hit the ground running when you there, NOT waste time looking at their catalog when you could have done that from home. Having a list like this also helps you record what you found (just write it in the third column) and then you'll have a form of Research Log for your records when you get home.

                2) Do not rely on any website for open days and hours. It's the logical place to start and copy/paste into your info sheets, but the wise researcher PHONES ahead and speaks to an actual person to verify that the days YOU are coming, they will be open. I once had to stop looking at documents from the 1700s from my 5G grandfather (my maiden name line!) because they were closing an hour early for a donor reception, and that's not the type of closure they will update their website for. Also watch out for state/federal holidays that fall on a Sunday, thus government buildings will be closed on Monday. I got stung on that one once, too, so mind your calendar for holidays.

                I find ReunionTouch very clumsy to use for any serious data entry while traveling, not because of anything Leisterpro did, but just because the way mobile apps have to work is very different from the Mac-based Reunion software. I take my laptop with me now, and use my iPad for quick reference and look-ups.

                Much of what I've uploaded here is likely overkill for a short trip or a newbie researcher, but again, you should be able to get some helpful ideas out of it. Good luck and have fun.
                Attached Files

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by pforbes View Post
                  Bob White, I have Notes on my iPhone 6 but there is no camera icon? Where do you see that?
                  Your phone is old and the version of Notes for a model that old does not have the scanning feature.
                  Bob White, Mac Nut Since 1985, Reunion Nut Since 1991
                  Jenanyan, Barnes, White, Duncan, Dunning, Luce, Hedge and more
                  iMac/MacBookAir M1 - iPhonePro/iPadPro - Reunion13 & RT

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Susan Freas Rogers View Post
                    Much of what I've uploaded here is likely overkill for a short trip or a newbie researcher, but again, you should be able to get some helpful ideas out of it. Good luck and have fun.
                    Thanks for sharing Susan. I will put these to good use.
                    ``````````````````````````````
                    Grant

                    Comment


                      #11
                      My iPhone is a 6S+ and by going to Notes (as suggested by Bob), choose "new folder"> on my iPhone> enter name (of new folder)>save>tap bottom right icon for new message> will bring up icons including a camera >either scan document or take Photo/Video and away you go. I know this is repeating a lot of Bob's writing but have included more details in case my iPhone is similar to the pforbes phone.
                      Alan
                      iMac 27" (late 2015) 2TB, 24GB Ram, (Monterey 12.3.1) iPad Pro 12.9" 256GB (Ios 14.4), iPhone 6S+ 128GB (Ios 14.4), Reunion 13,

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by pforbes View Post
                        Bob White, I have Notes on my iPhone 6 but there is no camera icon? Where do you see that?
                        I just checked my wife’s plain ole iPhone 6 and also has the feature. If Alan’s instructions don’t help most likely you need to update to iOS version 13.X ( current version is 13.3.1 ). Check to see if you need to update or that your phone is older than a 6.

                        J Sadler.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by pforbes View Post
                          Bob White, I have Notes on my iPhone 6 but there is no camera icon? Where do you see that?
                          On my iPhone6, after I open a new note, there is a + in a circle in middle of the icons at the bottom - clicking on this gives the options menu.
                          Peter Cook
                          Rossmoyne, Western Australia
                          OSX 10.13.6 & iOS 12.4.6; Reunion 12.0 [200602];ReunionTouch 1.0.15

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Here is Apple's own instructions. (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210336)
                            Bob White, Mac Nut Since 1985, Reunion Nut Since 1991
                            Jenanyan, Barnes, White, Duncan, Dunning, Luce, Hedge and more
                            iMac/MacBookAir M1 - iPhonePro/iPadPro - Reunion13 & RT

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I’ve often used a Flip Pal scanner...it’s about the same size as a iPad, and has a great facility for scanning large documents or items in sections then it stitches them together. It’s called Easystitch. I also use Evernote, rather than Notes, which is great for downloading images and keeps the web link as well.

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