Genealogy for beginners: start the right way
Genealogy for beginners can feel overwhelming: names, dates, places, websites, family stories, old letters, photographs. Before you know it, everything is in a heap on your desk or scattered across folders on your computer.
The best way to avoid frustration is to spend a little time organizing your genealogy research right from the start. You don’t need expensive tools or complicated systems. With a few simple habits and some traditional methods—paper, pens, binders, and a sensible folder structure—combined with modern genealogy software, you can build a research setup that will serve you for years.
On Norwegian Genealogy and Then Some, I write for people who are curious about their roots and want to get started with genealogy. Think of this as a calm, practical starting point, not a set of strict rules.
Start with yourself and work backwards
Even the most experienced genealogist follows the same basic rule: start with what you know and work backwards.
Write down your own full name, birth date and place.
Add your parents, then your grandparents.
Note what you know for sure and what is only “family rumour”.
At this stage, organizing your genealogy research simply means keeping your facts separate from your guesses. A very simple way to do this is:
Use normal text or solid lines for confirmed information.
Use question marks, dotted lines, or a different colour for uncertain details.
This makes it clear which parts of your tree are well-documented and which parts still need proper proof. Later, when you are deep in Norwegian church books and censuses, you will be glad you started this way.
Choose a simple system for notes and documents when getting started with genealogy
Genealogy for beginners often goes wrong because everything is stored “for later” in one big pile. Before you dive too deep, decide how you will handle paper, digital files, and genealogy software.
Paper system (traditional and reliable)
Many family historians still like to work with paper, and for good reason. It is tangible, easy to browse, and doesn’t disappear in a hard-drive crash.
You might use:
One main binder per family line, for example:
Paternal grandfather’s surname
Paternal grandmother’s surname
Maternal grandfather’s surname
Maternal grandmother’s surname
Inside each binder:
A pedigree chart at the front
Family group sheets for each couple
Plastic sleeves for copies of certificates, letters, and photos
This is a very traditional way of organizing your genealogy research, but it still works beautifully. In the Download section you find printable charts and forms you can download and slip straight into a binder.
Digital system (folders that make sense)
On your computer, create a similar structure with clearly named folders. For example:
GenealogySurnamesEidhammerHauglandNordheim
DocumentsCertificatesCensusChurch_records
Photos
Within each folder, use file names that tell you what you are looking at without opening the file, such as:1900_census_Oslo_Ole_Hansen_family.pdf or 1885_baptism_Anna_Olsdatter_Tresfjord.jpg.
This kind of naming is a small thing, but it is at the heart of organizing your genealogy research in a way your future self will thank you for.
Evernote can be a great way to organize your notes and keep them with you always across several platforms.
Genealogy software: your digital family tree
Alongside paper and simple folders, genealogy software can be a great help in genealogy for beginners. Think of software as your central “brain” that keeps the family tree itself together, while your binders and folders store the details and copies.
A typical genealogy program lets you:
Build your family tree with people, relationships, places, and events
Attach sources, notes, and images to each person
Generate pedigree charts and family group sheets automatically
Export and import trees using GEDCOM (useful if you change programs or share with relatives)
When choosing software, look for:
The ability to record sources properly (not just names and dates)
Clear charts and reports you can print and keep with your papers
Regular backups (either in the cloud or to a local drive)
Some people prefer standalone programs on their computer; others like online trees that sync across devices. There is no single “right” choice. The important thing, especially when you are organizing your genealogy research, is to pick one solution and use it consistently.
On Norwegian Genealogy and Then Some, I often show screenshots and examples from digital trees, research planners, and other tools. Use whatever program suits you, but make sure it works together with your paper and folder system instead of replacing it completely. Be sure to check out Best Genealogy Software 2025.
Recording your sources from the beginning when getting started with genealogy
One of the most important lessons in genealogy for beginners is this: always write down where you found each piece of information.
It doesn’t have to be in perfect academic style. It simply needs to answer:
What is it? (Church book, census, passenger list, letter, etc.)
Where is it? (Archive, website, book, collection)
Which details identify it? (Year, page, entry number, farm, parish, etc.)
When did you access it? (Especially for websites)
For example, instead of “baptism record”, you write:
Baptism of Ole Olsen, 3 April 1870, Tresfjord parish, Møre og Romsdal, church book 1865–1877, page 45, no. 12.
Whether you keep this in a notebook, in genealogy software, or in a simple spreadsheet like my genealogy research planner, the habit is the same. If you do this from the very beginning, organizing your genealogy research becomes much easier. You can always return to a record, double-check details, or show a skeptical cousin exactly where your information came from.
Read about recording and evaluating sources in my article Let’s do it right the first time.
Use simple forms to keep families together
When you are working with several generations, it is easy to lose track of which children belong to which parents and where they lived. Simple family group sheets and pedigree charts are traditional tools that still work perfectly today.
For each couple, note:
Names (including maiden names)
Birth, marriage, death dates and places
Occupations and addresses
Children with their basic details
Notes about sources and unresolved questions
You can:
Print out forms and file them in a binder
Let your genealogy software generate charts
Or combine both, which many genealogists still prefer
The important thing is consistency: always record the same kind of information in the same place.
You can find free family group sheets and pedigree charts in my Download section.
Keep a research log to avoid repeating yourself
Another classic tool in genealogy for beginners is the research log. This is simply a record of what you searched for, where you looked, and what you found—or did not find.
A basic research log might have columns such as:
Date
Person or family you were working on
Question (for example: “Find baptism for Kari Nilsdatter, born c. 1850”)
Source checked (archive, website, book)
Result (found / not found / maybe)
Next step
You can keep this in a notebook, in your genealogy software (as research notes), or in a spreadsheet. I often like a simple table: it is part of quietly organizing your genealogy research like a professional.
The research log saves time, prevents you from repeating the same fruitless searches, and gives you a clear overview of how your work is progressing.
I provide a free research log that you can run in Google sheets You can download it here.
Separate “proven” and “possible” relatives
Beginners often want to connect to famous people or dramatic stories as quickly as possible. There is nothing wrong with being curious, but it is wise to separate:
Proven ancestors – people for whom you have good, documented evidence
Possible connections – people who might be related but are not yet proven
You can do this by:
Keeping separate trees (for example, one “working tree” and one “proven tree”)
Using clear labels in your notes and software, such as “hypothesis”, “unproven”, or “needs confirmation”
This simple distinction protects the quality of your work and keeps family legends in their proper place until the records confirm—or contradict—them.
Back up and preserve your work
Part of genealogy for beginners (and for experts) is thinking about the future. Family history is not just for us; it is for the next generations.
A few basic habits help:
Regular backups of your digital files (external drive + cloud storage)
Printing out key charts and summaries for a physical binder
Writing short narratives or summaries that explain the main lines of your tree
Labeling photographs with names, places, and approximate dates
On the blog I often encourage readers to go beyond the pure data and write short stories, scene by scene. The better you are at organizing your genealogy research today, the easier it will be for your children, grandchildren, or other relatives to understand and carry it forward.
Start small and build steady habits
You don’t need to be perfect, and you don’t need a complete system before you start. The main thing is to begin with a few steady habits:
Write down what you know.
File each document in a sensible place.
Record your sources.
Note what you searched for and what you found.
Keep proven facts separate from guesses.
Let genealogy software help with structure, but keep paper and simple notes close at hand.
This is all genealogy for beginners really needs: clear records, thoughtful organization, and a bit of patience. From there, your tree will grow, your skills will improve, and you will build a family history that others can trust and enjoy.
If you want to dig deeper, feel free to explore more articles on Norwegian Genealogy and Then Some—for example my posts on reading Gothic handwriting and using Norwegian church books. They are all written in the same spirit: learning together, one careful step at a time.
If you have questions about Norway and/or Norwegian Genealogy, don’t hesitate to send me a word through my Contact page.
