# How it began... It all began with this [Newsletter Post.](https://open.substack.com/pub/genealogymatters/p/conquering-our-notes-to-write-our?r=2roryu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) When looking for a better way to organize our notes in a way that builds from the bottom up, a family history in any form, I explored the ideas presented by Sönke Ahrens in *How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking* and Tiago Forte in his book, *Building a Second Brain.* Additionally, the information about Maps of Content I've drawn from Nick Milo from "Linking Your Thinking" have enhanced the whole process. # How it developed... Armed with these three highly effective methods of notetaking, I could see a specific path for genealogist to use a system that would not only **organize their notes** and files for family history research, but also create a pipeline that created a **smooth path to a family history product**. The product, in this context would be determined by the genealogist, whether it was an - Article - Blog post - Family manuscript - Book - Video - Podcast - Presentation The products can essentially only be limited to the collective creative mind of genealogists. From here, I developed **GRAAMS**, which is an acronym for **Genealogy Research & Action-Access Management.** # GRAAMS ## What is GRAAMS? A Protocol for Processing **GENEALOGY RESEARCH** Notes that lead to **ACTION** and open up **ACCESS**, within a smooth a **MANAGEMENT SYSTEM** to increase productivity. The [Obsidian Notetaking App]([Obsidian - Sharpen your thinking](https://obsidian.md/)) is what will be used for management. It is free. ## GRAAMS Access Tools for Obsidian ### Notes Each Capture Note and each Thought Note exists in either the CURRENT Folder, the FUTURE Folder or the ARCHIVE Folder. ### Workspace Use Workspaces to create a package of information to be able to return to easily. ### Properties Added to a note to a note to enhance sorting and categorization. #### Properties List of Examples **Status:** CURRENT, FUTURE, ARCHIVE **MOC Type:** LINEAGE BANK, SURNAME HUB, ANCHOR, **Note Type:** CAPTURE, ANCHOR, THOUGHT **Relationship:** GRANDMOTHER, GREAT GRANDFATHER, AUNT, etc. ### Projects You will need the [**Project**](obsidian://show-plugin?id=obsidian-projects) Community Plugin. Lets you manage your current project more efficiently. ### Tags Ideas, Breadcrumbs for your future self, clues to find this note again. ### Links Making connections between notes to further develop ideas. All notes link to the anchor. All anchors link to the Hub. Links to new ideas generated while writing Thought Notes will organically occur. ### Hubs One Hub per Surname. This is a Map of Ancestors. ### Lineage Bank This is a Map of all Surname Hubs. There is one for Paternal and one for Maternal. # Action Management What you do with your research. First, look at the different types of notes we use in GRAAMS: Anchor, Capture, Thought, Bucket, Production. ## (Types of Notes) # Anchor Note ![[1. Anchor]] # Capture Note A Capture Note ![[2. Capture]] # Thought Note ![[3. Thoughts]] # Bucket Note Where you curate notes that go together to grow into the product. As your notes develop and your collection grows, you will turn it into a Map of Content (MOC) that you will take to Production. Curated Notes- notes you’ve selected to be in the specific bucket that will build from the bottom up with a destination for production. Determine a Focus for your Bucket. Every Thought Note that is linked in this Bucket Note will align in some degree with that focus. Title your Bucket Note to appropriately show your future self the main idea or topic. Example: Hinkson Family History # Production Note No matter what the intended outcome of your research, this note is where you make a connecting bridge between your Bucket Notes and your product. Products can be whatever you choose. It could be a written family history or a blog post, a presentation. Maybe you want to create a video or a podcast recording. Maybe you’re writing a book. Whatever you choose, in this process you will have built the product from the bottom up using the notes you’ve curated in your Bucket. --- # Access Management --- ## FOLDERS These are the only folders you should have in your Obsidian Vault for now. Avoid old ideas about organizing using folders. There are two categories of folders: **MAPS OF CONTENT (MOC), STATUS, and TEMPLATES.** ### Maps of Content #### Hubs One Hub Note per Surname #### Anchors Permanent Folder for all Ancestor Anchor Notes with 2 sub folders: 1. Direct 2. Indirect #### Template This is where templates will be created and stored. ### Status Folder for a Capture or Thought Notes #### Current This is your current focus. This be assigned as a project will be in a Workspace. #### Future This is the place to put anything you come across that you don't want to lose. It goes through initial processing (Capture & Thought Notes) and is left for later. #### Archived This is the place to put anything that is complete. Complete would be anything that has been moved out of the Bucket, into Production and is now complete. ---