Have you ever found yourself searching for the same regional map, historical timeline, or website over and over again? Whether you are a genealogy hobbyist or a professional, we all have those “wait, where did I find that?” moments.

A genealogy Personal Reference Guide (PRG), also called a Locality Guide, is a compiled study guide that allows for quick reference during your research. Think of it as your own customized “cheat sheet” for specific methodology skills or locations, whether you’re looking at a single county or an entire country.

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Why Every Genealogist Needs a Personal Reference Guide

Creating a Personal Reference Guide for genealogy is about more than just staying organized; it is about strengthening your skills and saving time. Here is how building one can help you:

• Solidifies Learning: Building a guide helps you retain important information. 
• Encourages Growth: You’ll gather new information, such as key resources and methodologies for a specific region.
• Builds Confidence: Having your own locality guide builds confidence in your research skills and regional knowledge. 
• Provides a Solid Foundation: It ensures an understanding of methodologies that work well in the region.
• Saves Time: With everything in one place, you’ll spend less time looking for resources and more time researching.
• Creates a Well-Rounded Researcher: You’ll move past basic searching and start researching like an expert.

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What to Include in Your Guide

Your Personal Reference Guide is for you, so it should contain whatever boosts your research style. Most effective PRGs include:

• Quick Reference Sheets: List important dates, terminology, timelines, or frequently used record types.
• Specific Locality Guides: Create sections for the whole country and specific provinces or states. Include historical and geographical information that is pertinent to genealogy research in the region. Also include information about important repositories in the area.
• Methodology Guides: Develop checklists of the most useful resources for specific methodologies, such as researching women, urban research, cluster Research, etc.
• Visual Aids: Collect sample documents, charts, and maps to aid your research.
• Resource Links: Keep links to helpful databases, collections, websites, and webinars for quick access.
• Syllabi: Collect them from webinars, courses, and institutes that you have attended, so you can refresh your memory on important research tips and strategies.
• Templates: Begin a citation template bank. Consider downloading my free Template Bank Starter Kit. Also, create templates for research logs, timelines, and more to help you during the research process.

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How to Get Started

Building a Personal Reference Guide for genealogy is a long-term project. Gathering methodology and locality information over time creates an invaluable, time-saving resource you will use for years to come.

• Choose Your Format: You can create a simple guide using Word documents stored in a folder on a hard drive, or use a Google Docs folder for a mix of documents and spreadsheets. For those who like Airtable, it’s excellent for organizing resources. All of my newer Personal Reference Guides are now in Airtable. 

Accreditation Note: If using Google Drive or Airtable for your PRG and you are planning on using it for ICAPGen accreditation testing, contact the ICAPGen Study Group at studygroup@icapgen.org or the ICAPGen Testing Secretary at testing.secretary@icpagen.org for more specific directions.

• Stay Consistent: Regardless of the platform you choose, use a consistent set of headings and categories across all sections you create. Consider creating a simple style guide and outline plan to remind yourself how each guide or quick sheet should be organized. A consistent format and style will provide a foundation for the ongoing expansion of your guide.
• Search for Baseline Material: There are many resources to help you with your baseline materials. Go to the FamilySearch Wiki for your region or download the Regional Resource Guide for your research region from the ICAPGen website.
• Creating Resource Links: In your Personal Reference Guide, links serve as digital bridges to your most important online tools. Instead of wasting time searching for that one specific database or helpful article during research, you can curate a list of direct shortcuts within your guide. If you use Google Docs or Airtable, you can link between different sheets or documents within your own PRG for seamless navigation.
• Printed PRG: In addittion to my digital files, I printed a copy of my PRG for ICAPGen Testing. I’m much better at manuvering in my digital files now and would probably not use a printed PRG if I were to test now.

Your Future Research Self Will Thank You

Building a Personal Reference Guide for genealogy is more than just an organization project; it’s an investment in your growth as a researcher. By centralizing your quick guides, maps, methodology checklists, and digital links, you create a “cheat sheet” that turns fruitless searching into successful research.

The key is to start small and stay consistent. Creating a PRG is valuable preparation for any genealogical work, regardless of your end goal. Start your guide today, and watch your confidence and expertise grow as you research!

Happy Researching!

Lisa Stokes, AG®

Genealogy Source Citations Simplified