ProofTrail Research Foundations · Module 4
A research plan converts a question into prioritized, documented actions. It is a working strategy, not a promise that a record will answer the question.
What you will be able to do
- Translate evidence gaps into objectives.
- Prioritize sources and repositories.
- Record search scope and adapt after results.
Why this matters
A plan prevents repeated searching, exposes assumptions, and makes negative results interpretable.
Inventory before planning
List current evidence, unresolved conflicts, missing identities, and coverage already searched.
Write source-specific actions
Name the record group, jurisdiction, repository, time range, targets, variants, and claim being tested. Search Ancestry is not a reproducible action.
Prioritize
Rank by expected evidentiary value, independence, access cost, and risk of loss.
Revise after results
Positive, negative, and inconclusive results can change the next action. Preserve completed actions and version material strategy changes.
Use it in ProofTrail
- Open the case and use Tasks for planned actions.
- Create one task per specific repository and record group, with the target, scope, and expected contribution.
- After the search, open More → Research Log and record the search, result, source, repository, and method.
- Update the next action on Overview or the related hypothesis as the evidence changes the plan.
Practice with the fictional Williams case
Practice data only: Sarah, Robert, every record, place, and DNA comparison are fictional.
Plan the household, marriage, probate, competing-candidate, and church-register searches. Specify that missing pages may limit any negative inference.
Common mistakes
- Writing only a list of websites.
- Repeating collections without logging scope.
- Seeking only confirming sources.
- Treating a changed plan as failure.
Check your understanding
1. What makes a search reproducible?
Check answer
Repository, record group, jurisdiction, time range, targets, variants, filters, date, and result.
2. Should the plan seek contradictory evidence?
Check answer
Yes. A sound plan tests alternatives as well as the leading hypothesis.
Create the work product
A prioritized plan with specific searches, expected contributions, and decision criteria.
Completion standard
Another researcher could perform the actions without asking what collection, place, time, person, or claim was intended.
Continue the investigation
Create Evidence records and log every meaningful search.
Written lesson version 2.1. Optional video fields support a future captioned video and transcript. The written lesson remains complete.