Even if you store your genealogical research in a computer database, you will usually want to print out copies for your files. This means that you'll need to organize a filing system to keep track of what you already know and what you are working on. You may want to create a separate file folder for each surname in your family, and then file these alphabetically in a filing cabinet. Pedigree charts are a graphical way to represent the ancestry of an individual. Usually each individual on the pedigree chart is identified by full name, date and place of birth, date and place of marriage, and date and place of death.
Lines connect the individual with the individual's father and mother.
You will want to begin your genealogical research by completing a pedigree chart with yourself on the far left, and then information about your parents and grandparents on the right, writing down as much information as you already know. Each sheet records information about the father, the mother, and all of their children. The date and place of marriage is recorded for the parents, and for each individual, the full name, the date and place of birth, and the date and place of death is recorded. If the dates of birth are known, the children are listed in order of birth. In some cases, the names of the children's spouses are also recorded.