Help:Contributor Help

Getting Started as a New Contributor
Welcome! Thank you for your willingness to come and contribute your knowledge to help genealogists everywhere find their ancestors.

The following will help you get started (click the links to learn more about each item):


 * Register for an account (you may already have one if you use other FamilySearch.org or LDS.org web sites)
 * Take the Wiki Tour or visit a New Wiki Contributors Training Meeting to learn more about ways you can contribute
 * Edit your first page by:
 * Sharing something you know about where you live
 * Adding information about a place you are currently researching
 * Joining an ongoing project (The links below will help you get started)
 * Edit your user page to tell others a little about yourself.

The Family Search Wiki is a collaborative community effort. Your contributions are welcome on every page.

Getting Started - Wiki Lessons
Review interactive courses to teach you how to contribute to the wiki. Each lesson takes approximately 15-20 minutes:


 * Wiki Overview
 * Searching for and Creating Articles
 * Editing Articles
 * Adding Links and Citations
 * Inserting Images and Using Templates
 * Watching Articles and Using History

Each one contains:


 * A basic explanation of how to perform a task.
 * A video demonstration (the same demonstrations listed in the Video Demonstrations section below)
 * Practice exercises
 * Handouts with step-by-step instructions and pictures
 * Check Your Learning quizzes

Getting Started - Video Demonstrations
You can also watch shorter 3-5 minute videos on each topic:


 * Editing a Wiki Article
 * Adding Links
 * Adding Images
 * Adding Citations
 * Creating a Wiki Article
 * Watching Wiki Articles
 * Using Templates
 * Webinar: Leveraging the Power of We: a Watershed Event in Discovering Where to Find Your Ancestors by FamilySearch's Michael Ritchey

Getting Started - Contributor Help Articles
Editing


 * Basic editing (see demo)
 * Basic: Copy and paste into a wiki page
 * Help: The Editing Tool
 * Simple edits you can make
 * Basic Wikitext

Citing Sources


 * How to add citations (see demo)
 * Source Citation Formats
 * Sources consulted but not referenced

Linking


 * Adding Links (see demo)
 * Linking to Wiki pages
 * Linking outside the Wiki
 * Advanced linking

Wiki Guidelines


 * Guiding Principles
 * Policies

Images


 * Selecting images
 * Submitting images (see demo)
 * Adding images to a page

Creating and Naming Pages


 * Basic page naming
 * Creating a page (see demo)
 * Creating a new linked page

Watching Pages


 * Watch page changes (see demo)
 * Watching Pages

Join the Community
Community Links


 * Community Center
 * Community News
 * Research Forums
 * Wiki Forums

Community Projects


 * Projects Seeking Contributors

Community Support


 * Help Support Wiki Contributors

Community Meetings


 * Community Meetings -  Learn about all the meetings currently going on around the Wiki.


 * 1) New Wiki Contributors Training Meeting
 * 2) Wiki Contributors Meeting
 * 3) Technical Meeting

Intermediate/Advanced - Help Articles
Advanced Editing


 * Advanced editing
 * Advanced editing with Wikitext
 * Advanced: Copy documents into the wiki
 * Uploading images (for Reviewers and Moderators)

Categorization


 * How to categorize pages (see last part of this demo)
 * Guided practice for adding categories
 * Advanced categorization
 * Browse existing categories

Naming, Renaming, and Redirecting Pages


 * Renaming a page (see last part of this demo)
 * Redirecting a page
 * Adding a page to the correct namespace
 * Creating an un-portal page
 * Splitting articles

Templates


 * A quick guide to templates (see demo)
 * Help: Templates
 * Maintenance templates
 * Contributor userboxes

Tables


 * Basic tables
 * Advanced tables
 * Copy spreadsheets into the wiki

Additional Guidance
Forums

Avoiding Disputes
 * Research -  Ask your general or specific research questions of Family Search genealogists.
 * Contributor Help - This is where you can ask "how to" questions you cannot find answers for.
 * Contributor's Corner  -  Participate in Wiki decision making, vote in polls concerning policy, format and other issues, and discuss relevant topics.
 * Feedback and Suggestions -  Have a great suggestion to help make the Wiki better ?  Want to give feedback on the Wiki operation, governance or design ?   This is the place to do it.


 * How to discuss page changes

Wiki Governance


 * Contributor Guidelines
 * Volunteer as a Wiki moderator
 * Wiki Teaching Aids