31 Days to Better Genealogy - Day 1

Day 1

"Decide what you want to find."

From various webinars, discussions groups, as well as the Genealogy Do-Over, one should sit down and write out a Research Log for each individual they are researching and each fact to be checked.  While I can, somewhat, understand and appreciate the organized methodology of this practice, I just can't get myself to do this for each individual and fact - at least not on paper or computer. I do it mentally as I have a individual or family records displayed on my computer screen. 

I want to immediately start my research.  And for now, I'm concentrating on using my World Subscription for Ancestry.  This allows me to search the full extent of Ancestry's database - primarily Canada, United States and United Kingdom records.

I want all possible information on the individuals (direct and collateral) in my database.

I am currently concentrating on direct ancestors.  However in doing research on that individual, information on other family member appear on the same record and are entered into the database (citing sourcing is a given).

In other words, I display the record of a family member.  What do I want to find?
1) confirm birth date, place, parents (if birth suspected to be during timeframe covered by Ancestry).
2) confirm marriage (if marriage suspected to have taken place during timeframe covered by Ancesty).
3) check censuses during lifetime of individual
4) check cemetery databases (links in Genealogy Toolbox) for burial information and possibly photo of headstone
5) repeat #1-3 in FamilySearch for records not found in Ancestry
6) google individual (using and altering keywords searched)
7) search newspapers for death notices