5 Google Docs Skills That Instantly Improve Your Genealogy Research Report

Devon Noel Lee
5 days ago
3 min read

Want your genealogy research report to look as good as your findings? Whether you’re applying for credentials or just trying to stay organized, presentation matters. A clean, professional report builds your credibility and makes your work easier to share and understand.

Google Docs might be your best tool for the job—and it’s free, cloud-based, and surprisingly powerful.

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Why Use Google Docs for Genealogy?

Before we dive into the tips, here’s why I rely on Google Docs for every report I write:

Accessible anywhere – No more emailing yourself documents.
Easy to collaborate – Share a link and get feedback fast.
Professional formatting tools – Built-in features rival paid software like Microsoft Word.

Five Essential Google Docs Skills For Genealogy Reports

Let's walk through the skills that will make your genealogy research reports look polished and professional.

1. Create Professional-Looking Headings

A clean heading structure improves readability and helps your report feel more “official.”

How to do it:

Highlight your title or section name.
Click the “Normal text” dropdown and choose a style (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.).
Customize one heading (font, size, color), then go to Format > Paragraph styles > Update ‘Heading’ to match.
This automatically updates all headings of that style—no more formatting one by one.

2. Format Your Content for Readability

A wall of text turns readers off. These tricks make your content easy to scan and understand.

Pro formatting moves:

Use bulleted or numbered lists for step-by-step instructions.
Adjust spacing between paragraphs via Format > Line & paragraph spacing.
Keep related content together using:
- Keep with next (prevents headings from separating from their paragraphs)
- Keep lines together (keeps paragraphs from splitting across pages)
- Prevent single lines (avoids awkward dangling sentences)

3. Add Footnotes the Smart Way

Citations are essential in genealogy. Google Docs makes adding footnotes a breeze.

Here’s how:

Place your cursor, then click Insert > Footnote or use the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+F (Windows) or Command+Option+F (Mac).
Footnotes renumber automatically if you move or delete them.
For consistent formatting, try the Footnote Style add-on—format one footnote, and the tool applies it to the rest.

4. Add Captions to Your Images (The Easy Way)

Photos, maps, and document clips add context—but they need clear labels.

The hack:

Go to Insert > Drawing > + New.
Upload your image, then add a text box underneath for a caption.
Save and insert. The image and caption act as one element, making layout easier.

5. Automatically Generate a Bibliography

End your report with a clean, well-formatted list of sources.

To generate one:

Click Tools > Citations.
Choose a citation style (MLA, APA, Chicago).
Add sources directly or copy-paste from your research log.
Click Insert bibliography to add a properly formatted source list at the end.

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Want to Make Your Research Report Shine Even More?

These five tools will transform the look of your research reports—but they’re just the beginning. If you want to learn advanced tips, pro formatting hacks, and time-saving tricks, check out our exclusive webinar for YouTube Channel Members of Family History Fanatics.

We’ll walk you through real-life examples and expert workflows you can start using right away.

Which of these Google Docs tips are you most excited to try? Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to subscribe to YouTube for more genealogy tech tutorials!