Maximize Your Research Progress! Harness the powerful, timesaving organization features of Evernote's free software and mobile apps to manage your genealogy research. This comprehensive user guide explains how to organize all kinds of genealogy clues--from notes and e-mails to vital records and audio files--so the information is easily searchable, accessible on any device, and automatically backed up in the cloud. Step-by-step instructions show you how to file research materials, analyze research clues, collaborate with cousins, and share your family history. In this book, you'll find Whether you're an Evernote newbie or dedicated user, How to Use Evernote for Genealogy will change your research life by showing you how this free tool can make you a better, more efficient genealogist.
I was delighted when Kerry Scott asked me to review her new book, How to Use Evernote for Genealogy. I was even more delighted when she forwarded me a review copy in PDF format. That copy now is loaded with highlights, bookmarks and notes. I thought I knew Evernote until I read this book. Kerry has given me dozens of ideas on using Evernote to improve my research workflows, manage my notes and even simplify everyday tasks. This book is amazing!
The book begins by covering Evernote basics and although I expected to breeze through it, I found a number of tips and features that were new to me. Kerry does a marvelous job demonstrating how to use Evernote with research examples we all regularly encounter. If you weren't already an Evernote fan, this book will convince you to become one. In addition to step-by-step instructions, you'll also find power-user tips, workflow recommendations and success strategies.
My favorite chapters were the ones on tags and searching. These two features have done more to make my research manageable than decades of organizational gurus. Kerry starts with the basics and then offers a number of ideas to make the most of them. I loved her "Emma" tip for dealing with people who have multiple surnames. She offers tips for simple searches along with details on taking advantage of all Evernote's searchable elements.
Chapter 8 is titled "Putting It All Together" and it does just that. She takes many of the everyday research elements and adapts them for use within Evernote. From correspondence logs to research plans, you'll see how Evernote can make them even more useful. There are also a number of great ideas for using Evernote to geotag notes, track DNA results and index records as you capture them.
The book is full of checklists, worksheets and forms that can be used to set up Evernote for genealogical research. There are all kinds of usage tips - like using annotation tools to highlight the small notice regarding my ancestor on a larger newspaper page. She hasn't forgotten security either. There are sections on securing your account, backing up notes and troubleshooting problems.
Kerry has created an impressive reference for anyone using Evernote to manage their family history. If will support the needs of the beginner as well as the experienced user.
How to Use Evernote for Genealogy is available at ShopFamilyTree.com. The paperback edition is currently on sale for $18.99 and the ebook edition (PDF) is $25.99. It will be available at Amazon [$19.13] in mid-November and it's already the #1 new release in Genealogy.
I had heard from several people that the were using Evernote for genealogy but I just didn't get it. This book explains everything about Evernote not only in the genealogical sense but for personal life too.
I've been doing genealogy since I was 13 years old, before I even knew what it was called or that there was a whole world of information available to help answer my questions. Now of course I have wills, vital records, land records, copies of pictures of ancestors from the civil war, and an original journal my great grandfather wrote in 1918, among other incredible items.
I'm in the process of going back to the beginning in a sense, making sure that every record is documented correctly and to ensure that I haven't made any mistakes in my research, particularly in one thread that I'm not convinced is true. While doing this I also knew that I needed to update my processes, such as keeping a research log to prevent me from having to repeat any of my research again, and to be able to pass this down to the next generation in my family. My niece in particular is one of those people since she started her own research when she was young.
I kept hearing that Evernote was a program many genealogists I know were starting to use and really liked the ease. I use OneNote for Goodreads and it's great for helping me to keep track of my challenges and books I want to read, but wasn't sure it was want I wanted for this.
By the time I was in the third or fourth chapter of this book written by Kerry Scott I was signing up for my own Evernote account and I'm already very pleased with this decision. In addition to working as an easy and quick way to make a note of any research I'm doing or making a to do list, there is a web clipper function to add copies of any articles or records I find on the internet. Evernote also has an app to add to your cell phone or tablet so you can access your research even in a cemetery, but there is also a camera feature that enables taking quality photos of documents when I'm at the library or any of the courthouses, historical societies, or a relatives home, as well as the ability to add voice recordings. Incredible. This book does a great job explaining Evernote and works for a beginner to the program or someone with experience.
"How to Use Evernote for Genealogy" - written by Kerry Scott and published in 2015 by Family Tree Books, an imprint of F&W Media. I am as guilty as are others Scott mentions of dragging my feet implementing effective use of Evernote. Reading and immediately putting into practice her step-by-step instructions was very useful and a strong incentive to get my notes better organized. Evernote was not created with genealogy researchers in mind and I use it for tracking many additional facts of life, but Scott's plentiful suggestions helped open my eyes to the possibilities. Her breezy style and good humor were a bonus! Now all I have to do is consistently put it all into regular practice!
I've been looking for a way to keep all of my genealogy stuff organized and I have finally found it! Evernote has been sitting on my computer for years & I never really understood what to do with it. This book explained everything I ever wanted or needed to know and then a great deal more. The searching capabilities of Evernote are astounding and cannot be matched by any other organizational tool. I highly recommend reading this book. It takes you from the beginning to the end and beyond. I has links and templates and tips. You won't be disappointed.
This is an excellent how-to manual about the popular software program. I learned quite a lot and have actually started using it for genealogy. Evernote has a powerful search function that supposedly also includes text in PDFs. But I just don't get why you'd use it over a word processing and picture editing programs currently on your computer. It seemed to me that you're just copying things into Evernote, so why not just tag your pictures properly in whatever program you're using? If it can really search PDFs, though, then it would be valuable to save journals, etc.
This is overall a good reference source for genealogists who use Evernote. There were what seemed to be a couple of contradictions, which is one of the reasons for the four, rather than the five, star rating. I am not sure I would like the tables feature. I discussed it with another Evernote user, and they did not like the tables function.
An interesting concept, but probably not one I will use as my primary way of documenting genealogical information. I am using it primarily to save information about the places my ancestors lived and worked.
I'm just getting started with Evernote. I've been reading about it, watching Webinars, joined a Facebook group, and now this book. It was very informative, even though Evernote has gone through changes. It is still a worthwhile book to read.
I learned a few tips. I'm still trying to use it for more than a document and photo storing app. I love using Excel so I don't see doing a lot of logs and charts in Evernote, but the author explains that.
It's from Family Tree Magazine. They have several helpful books like this.
In addition to learning how the author uses Evernote for genealogy, readers learn a lot of basic information and ideas about other ways to use Evernote in everyday life. I'm pretty sure I'll be using what I've learned. I may even get a paid subscription because the ability to index words in images and pdfs is something I would love.
Even though I’ve used Evernote for personal and work life for years, it never occurred to me to use it for my genealogy research. Thanks to this book, I have great ideas of how to better organize my digital family history.
A good book for someone just getting started with using Evernote especially for the central theme of this book - genealogy. Not much for intermediate and advanced level Evernote users though.
Currently I don't use Evernote but plan to use it to work on long term genealogy projects.
Long "todo" lists never get done and I used the ScanSnap effectively. All my important files are digitized.
After reading Kerry Scott's book I'm starting the following and using Evernote to track each project:
Brick wall note book: An in-depth write up of my question, my current thinking and my research plan.
FAN club research.
Proof Summaries of my first and second generation immigrants. Most are from Ireland
A notebook to capture all my pdfs.
A notebook to transcribe census records. A fill in the blank template will work best for me.
Thank you for such a good book. Lots of good ideas, with step by step instructions. Even worth it for the person who doesn't see a big need for Evernote.
Great book! Well illustrated. Best thing I've seen for Evernote genealogy. On the other hand, there are a few typos and errors (example: microfilms must be ordered by internet now!). I wish there were additional examples of presentations and of research logs . I wish there were examples with more depth on how she records her analysis with Evernote: it's a lot on set-up and first input. Then what comes for followup? Still, this book is very much worth having and using!!
Quite a few nifty ideas for me - the old Evernote fox
I am a long time user of Evernote. I have also been a genealogist for many years. But I haven't used Evernote for my genealogy research. Kerry Scott's book Includes quite a few nifty ideas for my brand new project with using Evernote for my genealogy research.
Although I just skimmed through this book because I haven't yet started my family tree, I will most definitely purchase this detailed step-by-step guide. A very comprehensive guide in which to organize your research efficiently!
This book is so well organized and well written. The fact that I could mark, dog ear, and just generally go back and forth through the information helped me understand how to fully utilize the app.
In fact I got so much out of it that I immediately bought a year's subscription to Evernote. Thank you Kerry Scott.