Last week, I showed how I use hyperlinking to help me quickly switch between the Group Sheets that I’ve created within Excel.  This week, I’ll show other uses for hyperlinking – this time in my notes that I write in Word.

In a nutshell, hyperlinking allows me to see any record, map or web site that I mention in my notes.  It helps me to find files that I’ve saved on my computer without having to go to my filing cabinet to find my paper copy – which means I have all of my files with me wherever I go.

Each of the hyperlinks in the page above will take me directly to the item mentioned with a single click.  Here are some examples: (Click on the image to see a larger version.)

Some things I can link to:

  • Notes and Group Sheets of other individuals
  • Full sized versions of thumbnail images I’ve included in my notes
  • Maps
  • Scanned documents
  • Photographs
  • Web sites where records were found
  • Search screens for Ancestry, Footnote, World Vital Records, etc
  • Search results for Worldcat.org or other library sites
  • County Genealogy Sites
  • Googlemaps
  • Documents I’ve created to organize information on this surname

For me, this is extremely effective.  It’s a timesaver over locating a record that has been added to a paper stack on my desk and reminds me of documents that I have had for awhile that might not come to mind immediately.  It also cuts down on the “clutter” that I assemble on my desk while researching!