Build the timeline before trying to solve the case
A useful exposure history is chronological. It gives memories somewhere to live and makes gaps visible without forcing the person to guess.
Jobs & workplaces
Employer, location, department, trade, tasks, nearby trades, equipment and approximate dates.
Military service
Branch, rate or MOS, ships, bases, duty stations, maintenance assignments and service dates.
Homes & family work
Addresses, renovations, who lived there, parents' or spouses' occupations, laundry routines, tools and vehicles.
Products & equipment
Machines, brands if remembered, package appearance, suppliers, repair parts, construction materials and consumer products.
People
Coworkers, supervisors, contractors, union members, relatives and others who may remember the setting.
Records
Employment history, Social Security earnings, union records, military records, photographs, catalogs, invoices and facility documents.
Approximate dates are useful. Uncertainty is useful. “I think this was around 1974” is better than forcing a precise answer that may be wrong. A timeline is a working map, not testimony carved in stone.
One timeline can connect several kinds of history
A useful exposure timeline places work, residences, military service, family occupations, renovations and product use on the same chronology. Overlap can reveal questions that separate lists miss.
Work and service
Employers, departments, ships, bases, contractors, trades and approximate years create the backbone.
Homes and family
Residences, parents' and spouses' occupations, laundry routines, vehicles, workshops and renovations can identify household or residential pathways.
Products and events
Long-term product use, major renovations, shutdowns, construction projects and unusual repair work can be placed alongside the work history.
What happens next
The timeline becomes a research map. Each entry can be connected to records, witnesses, historical product information, company history and other evidence. Unknown periods remain marked as unknown until evidence fills them in.