Operation Granny Files · Page 1 of 2
Research Trail: one search cycle
05
RESEARCH
No JavaScript needed: Use your browser’s Print command, then write only on paper. There are no online answer fields.
Use adult-approved historical evidence or fictional practice. Print page 1 again for a second dated entry; keep both entries with page 2 in your Family Research Journal.
Record the search, even if nothing turns up
Search date / entry number:
My research question
Ask one specific question. Use a fictional name or a private paper code if helpful.
Where and how I searched
Name the archive, book, or website; record search words, dates, filters, and pages checked.
Result: what I found or did not find
Record the clue and source-card A/B reference. A “no result” search is useful evidence about what you tried, not proof that a person or event never existed.
My next step
Name one source or different search to try, and why it might answer the question.
When the journal is ready to file
- I filed two dated log entries (repeat page 1).
- I kept two source cards with details to find each source again.
- I left open questions and a next step in my Family Research Journal.
Operation Granny Files · Page 2 of 2
Keep the sources. Carry the question.
Make two source cards
Keep enough detail for someone else to find each source. Use “unknown” honestly; omit private access links and sensitive identifiers.
Source card A
Title / record type
Creator / author (or unknown)
Source date (or unknown)
Where kept: archive, website, or collection
Find it again: URL or catalog ID + page / entry
Date accessed
Notes: exact clue and what it may mean
Source card B
Title / record type
Creator / author (or unknown)
Source date (or unknown)
Where kept: archive, website, or collection
Find it again: URL or catalog ID + page / entry
Date accessed
Notes: exact clue and what it may mean
Compare evidence and confidence
Optional Source Showdown: compare A and B on the same claim. A source type alone does not decide reliability.
What claim am I checking? Where do A and B agree or differ?
How confident am I, and why?
Circle on paper: unsure / partly supported / well supported. Consider who supplied the information, how close they were to the event, and whether the sources are independent. What evidence is still missing?
Leave an open-question handoff
What remains unanswered? Which source or action will I start with next session?