Help:Wiki University Appropriate Topics

Appropriate Topics
Just about anything that will give information as to what genealogical records exist in any area of the world and how to gain access to them and analyze/use them is appropriate in the Wiki.

The sections below describe what is not appropriate in the Wiki. These lists come from the Wiki Guiding Principles and Policies, which will be discussed in more detail in a later lesson.

Inappropriate Topics

 * Information or images about a specific ancestor or family


 * Data sets and genealogical records, such as obituaries, military histories, or transcriptions of record sources


 * Product reviews


 * Advertising for products or services. (For more information relating to exceptions for professional genealogists, see the Professional Genealogists page.)


 * Descriptions of holidays and family traditions. Those which affect family history records or research methods are mentioned under specific countries


 * Internal policies or contact information of the Family History Department or any other LDS Church affiliate


 * Knowledge regarding the use of FamilySearch products


 * Surveys regarding the development of products other than this wiki


 * Religious doctrine or discussion of religious practices


 * Images of LDS temples

Limited Topics
There are a number of subjects that are not necessarily appropriate or that should be addressed lightly in the Wiki. These include:
 * History of a place or people


 * Geographic information
 * Military history that influenced the creation or location of genealogical records
 * Case studies for teaching genealogical methodology. (Since case studies can quickly bloat an article, it is often best to cover a case study in a separate article rather than add it to a general information page.)


 * Methods of citing genealogical sources
 * Power usage of an important computer application’s features in finding or analyzing genealogical records
 * Use of computer hardware in genealogy
 * Lists of Family History Library materials derived from the Family History Library Catalog (FHLC). The Wiki isn't meant to replicate the FHLC. However, when a FHLC entry fails to provide enough information for patrons to be able to use a resource, the Wiki, like the in-house registries that are found in FHL's, can complement the FHLC entry.


 * Information on specific repositories. The Wiki is not intended to replicate the catalogs of other repositories, but it can be helpful to provide a general description of the major collections of a library or archive.


 * Information on genealogical groups, such as genealogical societies, companies or non profit organizations. Although the wiki is not intended to replicate, for instance, the catalog of a genealogical society's library, it can be helpful to list certain facts about a genealogical society.

Writings on the topics above can easily become bloated. For instance, it is helpful to know the years of the potato famine in Ireland and the migration patterns as a result, but it is not relevant why the famine occurred or what steps the government may have taken as a result. When writing on any topic the best rule of thumb is to ask: “Have I made a good case as to how this information helps someone find, use, or analyze genealogical records?”

Try these out
 Quick Quiz
 * The history of the Mayflower voyage would be allowed in the Wiki.
 * True
 * False


 * Listing of genealogical items from a catalog is ok.
 * True
 * False


 * The life of Abraham Lincoln would be ok in the Wiki.
 * True
 * False


 * A long history of the Shoshone Indians is not ok in the Wiki
 * True
 * False


 * A brief description of the resources of a local genealogical library is ok.
 * True
 * False

Check your answers