FamilySearch Wiki:About Us



Welcome to FamilySearch Wiki!

The FamilySearch Wiki is not about finding the names of your ancestors. It is not, in fact, about finding people at all. The Wiki is about finding documents that might have been generated about your ancestors. It is a vast record depository for countries all over the world; records such as census records, marriage records, birth records, death records, and land and title records. Your ancestors and a record of their lives are to be found in those documents and records. Here on the Wiki you will find:


 * Links to record collections where your ancestor's information may be found.
 * Research advice on solving research problems.
 * Staff members who might be able to answer your questions.

To use the Wiki in your search for ancestral records you will need to be prepared.


 * Think about what you want to know about the ancestor. Be specific as this will aid in your search.
 * Consider the location where that event may have happened; towns, cities, counties, parishes, states and countries.
 * Think about other records that may possibly contain the information you need.
 * Work backward, rather than forward (look for a death record before searching for a birth record) More records have been generated at the ends of our lives than at the beginning.
 * Think about the record trail that we all leave behind.

It is helpful to know:


 * A possible location
 * A time frame

Valuable Resources
Additional research advice can be found on:


 * Get started in the Wiki
 * Help:Keys to Success using the Wiki
 * Success Stories
 * Rookie Mistakes
 * Family History for Beginners
 * Identify What you Know
 * Obtain and Search the Records
 * Use the Information
 * Researching in the FamilySearch Wiki: A Case Study(video)

One of the following articles can help you decide where to look first for a puzzling:


 * Name Variation
 * Date
 * Place
 * Easiest to Research Person and Event
 * Record Type to Use

For information about contributing to the wiki:


 * The Vision: Why We Built FamilySearch Wiki
 * Purpose and Appropriate Topics
 * Accuracy and collaboration
 * Content Organization, Browsing, and Categories
 * Contributor Help