Research Analysis Table

= What Is Research Analysis? =

After gathering important research data, a family historian or genealogist needs to think about the significant findings. Placing the data on a research log, such as the Strategic Research Log, is the first step. After that, for complex problems, it is useful to transfer (copy and paste) just the most important elements (including sources and links) to a place for careful study and pondering. This is, perhaps, the most important part of the research process, for here one determines the relationships of elements, choosing what appears to be true and casting out false theories.

The following table is an example of how to arrange data for critical analysis. Note that the columns from left to right suggest steps in the thought process: This Research Analysis Table has been very beneficial to researchers. A sample of it is shown below.