Filing by document type eliminates the need for duplicate copies of both paper and digital documents. Using a generic file name also helps in that regard. In other words, don't put any surnames or other specific details in the file name.
I have been doing that for years and have had no problems with my system. Mary Sent from my iPad On Aug 31, 2011, at 10:56 AM, Paula Ryburn <[email protected]> wrote: > Just re-read many posts in the archives, but still have one issue pertaining > to how to organize files in folders (digital or hard-copy). > > This question is for those of you who organize your folders by surname, not > by document type. > > How have you "filed" your census images/transcriptions/data? I have cases > where not only do two brothers (same surname) live near enough to be on the > same page, but also where several families that are related (if not at the > time of that census, then later when one's son married another's daughter) > are on the same page (different surnames). > > > Do you keep a copy of each in each family's folder? > > > > I'm about to start an "organization" project and would welcome your quick > input on this question. > > > --Paula in Texas > Researching: Adair Baker Beasley Benson Betz Bigley Blagrave Burton Chapman > Clement Clough Coppernoll Costine Daulton Dinwiddie Doody Ellis Exline Field > Floran Floyd Gates Goodale Gordon Gump Hale Harbaugh Hind Hopkins Hughes > Hurdle Jones Klein Koyle Laswell McDonald Misner Passwaters Pelton Roberts > Roche Ryburn Short Singer Sullivan Weller Williams > > > From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Cc: [email protected] > Sent: Fri, July 22, 2011 10:32:48 PM > Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Source Name Filing System > > I use a combination of Alan's and Jacki's systems, but I add the date. My > electronic file cabinet (Windows Explorer) has a folder for each surname and > under that a separate folder for each couple (think MRIN, but without using > the actual #, since I want to keep the family info together even with a > second marriage), such as folder for Joe and Jane (Jones) Smith, and a > separate folder for Steve and Sally (Brown)Smith, with maiden names in ( ). > > The files in each folder are listed by date (yyyy mo dy),then name the > document pertains to, and what the document is, such as, 1879 04 01 Joe and > Jane (Jones) Smith-Marriage, or 1880 05 15 John Smith-Birth. > > When I open the folder for Joe and Jane (Jones) Smith I see, at a glance, the > history of the family. No, this doesn't group the documents by person (all > of John's documents together, then all Sally's documents), but I can see: > (comments in ( ) are my narrative, not part of file name) > 1885 01 01 Judith Smith-Birth > 1885 03 01 Judith Smith-Death (daughter dies at 2 months of age) > 1886 07 04 Steven Smith-Birth > 1888 09 01 Judith Smith-Birth (birth of another daughter named Judith) > 1890 12 15 Samuel Smith-Birth > 1890 12 16 Samuel Smith-Death (child dies at 1 day old) > 1890 12 20 Jane (Jones) Smith-Death (mother died after childbirth) > 1892 01 12 Joe and Bertha (Johnson) Smith-MARRIAGE (father remarries, CAPS > bring your eye to a new marriage) > 1892 12 02 Andrew Smith-Birth (child of Joe & Bertha, step-brother to Steven > and Judith) > > Opening this family's folder gives a quick look at what has happened and > where something I find might fit in the overall scope of things. I haven't > yet found where a father died and the mother remarried and had children with > the new husband - in my families the mother dies and father remarries. If > the husband dies and wife remarries and has children with the new husband I > probably will add a new FOLDER for the new couple under the existing folder > in order to keep the family relationship intact, (and not make myself crazy). > > Perfect, maybe not. However, after many different tries this is the approach > that works best for me.....until I find something that works better! > > Faith > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jacki Richey" <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 9:27:37 PM > Subject: RE: [LegacyUG] Source Name Filing System > > > Alan, I use a similar system, but I put the person's last name first, then > first name, then middle initial, then the type of document. That way all the > documents and photographs for the same person are together. I find that more > useful than having documents of the same type together, such as all > obituaries together. > > When the document or photograph has a whole family, I use the name of the > head of household & add FAMILY. > > I scan as jpg files, but I see that you convert to pdf files. Why is that? > > Thanks, > Jacki > > > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Source Name Filing System > > Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:45:42 -0500 > > > > Jerry, > > > > Please forgive me as I am a little confused by your comment. If I > > understand your comment correctly let me go into some detail.... > > > > This naming scheme is for file names of scanned source documents like > > birth certificates, marriage documents, obituaries, diplomas and school > > related documents etc where the focus of the source is 1 or 2 people. > > So I find an obituary and i make it a PDF and name it: > > > > OBIT-Doe_John_B-1234-a.pdf > > > > I would not make multiple copies of the file with different names if > > multiple people were listed in the source. In fact my note at the end > > indicate I am still trying to find a solution to that problem of a source > > that covers many people. > > > > Also note based on past posts to the list and I am not trying to link every > > source to every person. I wanted a system so that I could find sources > > later if I was browsing to them in my file system not just link to them in > > Legacy. In the old days of paper files it was almost easier than with > > electronic files. > > > > If you have another naming scheme for sources that is logical and helps > > you keep them organized on your computer for future needs, sharing and > > later retrieval i would love to see it. I am not stuck on my format > > yet as I am still experimenting. > > > > If I did not understand your idea or you have additional thoughts please > > feel free to share. > > > > thanks for the comment. > > > > > > > > On 7/21/2011 6:39 PM, Jerry wrote: > > > Hi Alan. Your naming scheme is interesting. However, if I am > > > understanding correctly, wouldn't you use thousands of separate sources > > > if you used each person's name in your source? Just wondering what I am > > > missing since the source is already linked to the person without having > > > their name as part of the source name. Thanks, Jerry > > > /MerriamFamilyTree.org > > > > > > Alan Jones<[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > >> I have seen a few recent posts about how people name their actual file > > >> names for source files. I asked a related question sometime back and > > >> based on some responses I came up with a format. This format I came up > > >> with I have stared using but am still trying to work though details. > > >> > > >> I in the interest of giving back to both those that helped me and others > > >> that may be wanting to see what I did below is the format I have tried > > >> to use. The format may be hard to read as i stripped the HTML out. > > >> > > >> I hope this helps someone and I would love to hear other peoples > > >> thoughts on this style. Email me on or off list as appropriate. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> Source Name Filing System > > >> > > >> > > >> *Format* > > >> Naming format, will use sub directories to group many like items for > > >> easier searching. Use "__" (underscore) for spaces i.e. between first > > >> and last name and middle name. Use a dash between fields (name vs > > >> record type). > > >> > > >> > > >> Document Type (abbreviation) > > >> "-" (dash) > > >> Last name of person (as listed in document married if applicable) > > >> "_" (underscore) > > >> First Name > > >> "_" > > >> Middle initial (or full name if others are similar) > > >> "-" dash" > > >> RIN (Record Identification Number) use minimum of 4 numbers for RIN > > >> "-" dash > > >> > > >> [rest optional] > > >> -- (two dashes if naming a 2nd person like a marriage document) > > >> <<repeat Last, First, Middle name and RIN section if needed>> > > >> > > >> <<optional "-" dash and letter (a-z) if there is more than one > > >> document of a type use consecutive letters. > > >> If documents are variations of the same document in some > > >> cases use the same letter then a consecutive number > > >> >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> *Examples:* > > >> OBIT-Doe_John_B-1234-a.pdf > > >> OBIT-Doe_John_B-1234-b.pdf > > >> > > >> MAR-Doe_John_B-1234--Smith_Sally_J-9876-a.pdf > > >> > > >> AWD-Jones_Jerry_G-0002-a.jpg > > >> AWD-Jones_Jerry_G-0002-b.jpg > > >> AWD-Jones_Jerry_G-0002-b1.jpg > > >> > > >> > > >> *Source Abbreviations Used* > > >> > > >> AWD -- Awards and Special Recognitions > > >> BIB -- Family Bible > > >> BR -- Birth Record including Birth Certificate, Birth Announcement, etc > > >> CHUR -- Church Related Document > > >> CEN -- Census Related document (not sure on naming as it may have > > >> multiple people > > >> DIP -- Diploma or related document for High School, Collage (undergrad > > >> or graduate), etc > > >> SCH -- School Related document if not a Diploma > > >> FB -- Facebook Related Source Document > > >> MAR -- Marriage Related Source Document > > >> OBIT -- Obituary from Newspaper, Funeral Home, or related source > > >> PIC -- Picture, used for the 1-5 select pictures of a person stored as > > >> source material. Some pictures may have witting on them. > > >> > > >> > > >> RIN -- Record Identification Number, when typing RIN for source > > >> documents enter minimum of 4 numbers and proceed with 0 if the RIN is > > >> smaller. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> *Document Format and Manipulation* > > >> Most documents should be storied in PDF Format. > > >> > > >> To Reduce the number of documents in some cases one may want to combine > > >> 2 or more PDF Documents into one document. Tools like PDFsam > > >> http://www.pdfsam.org/ and jPdf Tweak http://jpdftweak.sourceforge.net/ > > >> can be use to combine/split PDFs. > > >> > > >> > > >> If needed use a tool like PDFCreator from http://www.pdfforge.org/ to > > >> convert a document convert a document/web page to PDF. > > >> > > >> > > >> *Additional Notes* > > >> Still working out how to deal with documents where multiple family > > >> members are mentioned in a single document. EX: Census documents, > > >> family bibles, etc. > > >> Use Just a last name and something else? > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on > our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). > To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on > our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). > To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). 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