Getting Started with Historical Records

= Welcome to Historical Records =

We are a section of the FamilySearch Wiki focused on writing articles about genealogical collections provided online through FamilySearch.org. We are very excited to have you with us. Whether you choose to be an official volunteer or an occasional collaborator, how long you work on our site and what you work on will remain completely up to you. However, if you are unsure where to begin, here are a few ways you can help out:

Sign up as an official Historical Records volunteer

 * Fill out a questionnaire and email it to [mailto:cwoehl@familysearch.org cwoehl@familysearch.org]
 * Receive email updates from locations or topics that interest you.

Add content to our “stub” articles

 * FamilySearch – WikiProjects: Projects Needing Content
 * Facebook – Have a Minute?

Post on Facebook

 * “Like” the FamilySearch Wiki Facebook page
 * Keep the page alive with experiences, events, insights, and questions

Join a Family History Community
These communities are being created to help you and others researching in the same area to help you:


 * Collaborate on your research
 * Ask questions and share answers
 * Share knowledge from personal research

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Family History Communities on Facebook

To join, simply visit one of the linked History Community pages, "Like" the page, and start posting.


 * United States of America: Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
 * Countries: Denmark, England, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Wales

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Family History Research Communities on Skype

To join a community, follow the following directions:


 * 1) Download the Skype program at Skype.com and register for an account.
 * 2) Add the following as a contact - gmajande57 - and let her know which group you'd like to be added to. (see instructions for adding contacts)
 * 3) Join in the discussions! It's that easy. (see instructions for sending a message)
 * 4) Learn more about Skype in the Skype User's Guide.

Family History Research Communities on Skype are currently available for the following locations:


 * United States of America: California, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia
 * Countries: Mexico, Denmark, England, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Thailand

Any further questions? Visit the Skype Research Community wiki page.

Subscribe to FamilySearch Historical Records Forums

 * Subscribe to the forums
 * Ask and answer questions about genealogy and/or Historical Records
 * Help other genealogists with their family histories

= Lost? Visit these Introduction Links =


 * Wiki Overview – Learn more about the purpose and direction of the FamilySearch wiki.
 * Help: Edit and Contribute – This page provides links to lessons and videos to help you register for FamilySearch and learn how to edit and update the wiki articles.
 * Help: Wiki Markup – Wiki markup is the text you use to format a Historical Records Wiki page. This page will explain the links, URLs, and formatting you will need to use.
 * Help: Creating a Page – This page provides links to our formatting style guide, as well as a process by which you can create a completely new page to share the genealogy you know. When creating a new page, remember to choose Wikitext, then copy and paste the following template into the article. Remember: first look for similarly titled Wiki articles, which you can add your content to, before creating a new one. This helps us prevent duplicate articles.

= Stub Article Template =

Add the “FamilySearch Collection” template. To find the template, click on the Template {T} Icon, click on the “Manual” tab, then select “Template:FamilySearch_Collection”.

Title in the Language of the Record
In this portion of the article, we ask the community to supply a translation of the title in the record language. (This section is not included in articles for English records.)

Examples:


 * Known title in the Language of the Record: Argentina 1869 Census
 * Unknown title in the Language of the Record: Netherlands, Passenger Lists

Collection Time Period
In this section, supply a sentence discussing the dates covered in a collection.

Example: Argentina 1869 Census

Record Description
This section of the article is a description of the physical state of the items in the collection. Mention any physical damage to the items, legibility concerns, etc. Also describe the types of records included in the collection, the language of the record's text, and the format used in the records.

Example: Argentina 1869 Census

Record Content
This section includes a header for the major genealogical items discovered in the records. The header should read as a variation of the phrase: Key genealogical facts found in the collection are listed below. Below the header, list the key genealogical facts found in the collection.

Example: Argentina 1869 Census

How to Use the Record
Place information here concerning how the record can be used in genealogical research and what type of information can be found in the record. Add specific research strategies to this section of the guidance, if possible. If describing an index, outline who authored it. Also describe the fields that are indexed and how to find the indexed records.

Example: Chinese Genealogies

Record History
Give information about the collection itself and place the collection in its geographical and historical background. This information should be geared to helping researchers to better understand the collection in its historical context.

Example: Argentina 1869 Census

Why the Record Was Created
List information concerning the use for which the information in the record was originally gathered.

Example: Argentina 1869 Census

Record Reliability
Describe the reliability of the information found in the collection and any problems that may exist with the information.

Example: Argentina 1869 Census

Related Websites
The purpose of this section is to encourage the community to add links to websites for archives and other websites with related material. To create the link:


 * Type the title of the related website that will be linked to the new article, then highlight it.
 * Click on the “Insert/Edit link” icon (the Globe with a single chain link).
 * Paste the website URL into the “Link” box.
 * Click “OK”.
 * You should be returned to the wiki article and the link should be created.

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Examples:


 * No websites provided: Argentina 1869 Census
 * Website provided: Chinese Genealogies

Related Wiki Articles
List wiki articles with material relating to the topic of this article. To create the link:


 * Type the title of the Related Wiki Article that will be linked to the new article, then highlight it.
 * Click on the “Insert/Edit link” icon. (Globe with a single chain link)
 * Type the name of the article that you wish to link to into the “Link” box. It should appear. Shortening the title is sometimes more useful than typing the entire title into the box.
 * Once found, select the correct title and click “OK”.
 * You should be returned to the new wiki article and the link should be created.

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Example: Argentina 1869 Census

Contributions to This Article
Add the “Contributor Invite” template. To find the template, click on the Template {T} Icon, click on the “Manual” tab, then select “Template:Contributor_invite”.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
INSERT THE FOLLOWING TEXT:

When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
INSERT THE FOLLOWING TEXT:


 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71.
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023.

Sources of information for This Collection
INSERT THE FOLLOWING TEXT:

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.