Sources of Information for a United States Record Type Article

FamilySearch Wiki contributors who want to help with an article about a type of U.S. record (like census records) often ask "Where should I look for information on this type of record, and how will I know when the article is 'done'?" This article is an attempt to help with these issues.

Major sources for information about U.S. records
The following sources are some of the major ones that may merit consideration in order to glean adequate information about a record type. The list isn't meant to be comprehensive or set in stone.

Proposed Processes

 * 1) Missionaries and community volunteers find information in the abovementioned sources and add that info. to the Discussion page of the articles in question. A good editor/writer/assembler can go in later and add this information into the article itself.

Success Criteria
The abovementioned sources are consulted to compile the information for the articles all the way to the state level. In addition:


 * 1) Internal and external links
 * 2) Good source notes
 * 3) Images
 * 4) See Also links
 * 5) Vetted headings

How to flag customers that an article has been thoroughly revised

 * The History page isn't enough of an indicator of thoroughness because most users don't know about it.
 * Can a "last edited on..." date be appended to the bottom of a page? (Even if it's possible, it's probably not enough.)
 * Should the article contain some kind of icon that indicates it has been overhauled?