How Do You Keep Your Research Organized?

I put all my paperwork in a file cabinet well marked. I put as much as I can in my family tree maker and I burn cd’s after i get it all put in. I’ve lost so much info web my hard drive died. Didn’t have any of it backed up. Thank goodness I still had all the paperwork.
I keep all certificates, census, military records, etc in family notebooks. Makes it easy to reference quickly. I also put pics in here to. Using protective covers so I don’t damage the documents or pictures. Books fill up fast so then I start book 2 of that family line. Each surname has it’s own book.
You just need to find what works best for you and makes you happy. Just mark it so you know what it is and it doesn’t get tossed out.

I use a fairly elaborate system, but I’ve been a computer programmer and data base designer for years.
The most important thing isn’t how you file it, but that you use a system consistently, and make notes.
For instance, if you had a 1880 census listing that showed your GGF SMITH at age 16 and his future wife, your GGM JONES at age 14, living next door to each other in Madison County, you could file it under any of these:
Madison-1880
Censuses-1880-Madison
SMITH-Generation4
JONES-Generation4
(each dash could be a separate page in a folder, a separate folder in a drawer or a separate directory if you scan everything and keep it on CD).
The important thing would be to put a note in your genealogy program (You DO use FTM, Roots Magic, PAF or some other Genealogy software, don’t you?) on every individual – GGF Smith, GGM Jones, their siblings and parents – saying “1880 Census – see folder {abc} for original copy”.

I have found the best basic software available at a reasonable cost is Family Tree Maker. I have been using it for > 4 years and have a database of > 3300 names now. It is also linked into Ancestry.com, which has been very useful. The program is very user friendly, and easy to manipulate through. The program also lets you create a family book with an outline, descendants tree and genealogy report graphics can also be included.
I no longer maintain any paperwork, it is all in the database.

I too have more folders than I know what to do with. I have family tree maker and it helps with the things I know for sure and I have a whole new folder that I keep all the stuff that needs a little more info. I also use index cards to keep things ready at my finger tips. It’s still hard though but very intresting and rewarding.

Get a notebook and organize it. I have two note book full one with my father’s side of the family and the other with my mother’s side of the family. I take notes and when I get the chance I add everything into the computer.

Scan information to a computer then burn to CD.

I use Family Tree Maker software and have created folders on my PC with the major surnames. I can empathize with you about the amount of material you can collect over time. Try to keep focused on particular questions.
I went to a Genealogical Research Conference. The speaker was very good, a professional genealogist named Mark Lowe. One of his major points was that you have to develop a research plan. Don’t go off on tangents. Write out a plan of Who, What, When, Where and Why.
Here would be one of mine for example:
Who: George W. Webb (my ggg grandfather)
When: 1832-1871
Where: East Tennessee
Why: Present in 1870 Sevier County, TN census (Jones Cove) with his wife and children
What: Who were George’s parents? Did George serve in the Civil War? Which side?
Comments: On his son James Webb’s death certificate, the place of his father’s birth is listed as Dandridge.
So, you can see I am going to focus on the questions I need the answers to and not get distracted by other family lines at this time. Since the death certificate I found on James Webb lists his father’s birth as Dandridge, I will search the Jefferson County records (where Dandridge is)
And I will try to find George in the 1860 census. I’ve already looked in Sevier County 1860 census and he was not there.
I hope you find this helpful.
Good luck.

I agree with Ted Pack. As for me, though, I have been at mine for a year now, and have accumulated a lot, but not enough to have such an elaborate system. Basically, I file things in a manner that makes the most sense to me, and then I index everything so if I needed to find something, I can just look at my index to see what file I put it in. I find that works best for me. As many things, as Ted pointed out, can fall under many categories, just putting it where you think makes most sense for you and indexing it so you can look up where to find it later is probably the easiest thing to do. I like to use Excel for my indexing because then I can sort and re-sort the information, just by a click of the mouse, in many different ways depending on what I want to do with it.