* timelines for sources, not peoiple?

[jmurphy]

I need a way to keep track of the start-stop dates that are associated with record sets which are available to search online.

Here's an example: if someone was naturalized before 1905, you won't find their Naturalization papers at the US National Archives -- they'll be filed at the local courts instead.

The start date of the (US) Social Security system is another waypoint -- if someone died before SS, they won't be in the SSDI.

Or if I have a death in Massachusetts, I can search for state vital records between the start-stop dates at the state archives (currently up to 1915) and at Ancestry (after 1970), but the in-between period is not online.

I might be able to use GenSmarts' experimental 'sandbox' to record some of the data sets which they don't cover already, but I'd like to hear what others do.

Most census dates are easy (thanks, Nick) but in the US, we also have half-decade state censuses. And a lot of the data is in little scattered bits from all over with no rhyme or reason to it.

Would software that is designed to keep timelines be useful?

Jan

ID:2976

[Jane]

Sounds sensible to me, something like Genelines, might work well or Timeline Maker. If you wanted to use the Timeline Viewer, if you put the date ranges in excel or similar, I can run them through Timeline for you.

[jmurphy]

Thanks for the offer, but it's going to take me a while to get my data together. Work is being a bit hectic right now, and I'm trying to get organized before the Christmas rush starts.

Especially after I have been cranking out things with Excel all day at work, I'm not so keen about looking at it at night, too, no matter how much more interesting the usage might be.

Jan