User:Nolaneclark/sandbox

Selecting the Type of Search
From the main search window, you can make a basic search or an advanced search. In addition, you can search all record collections or particular record collections.

Choosing Between a Basic Search and an Advanced Search
Basic Search provides the broadest search; it will examine all historical records looking for the name of the person entered, as narrowed by the place and time periods selected. Basic Search is the default position within the search window.

Advanced Search can be used to search for persons based on the identify of spouse or parents. For example, one can enter the names of the parents (ommiting the name of the child) and locate records naming both parents. Note that if one uses the mother's maiden name, one is likely to find death records, which usually give the maiden name of the mother. By contrast, if one uses the mother's married name, one is likely to find census records which almost always use the married name.

Advanced Search can also be used if you are looking for a particular event relating to a person. The event choices are any, birth, marriage, residence, death and other.

Deciding Whether to Search All Records or Particular Collections
If you search for a person using either a Basic or Advanced Search, the search engine will search all records unless you have first narrowed the search to a particular collection.

Searching within all records maximizes the probability of finding the person you seek, but may yield a vast number of records. Searching within a particular collection narrows the search. This can be useful For example, if you are looking for a death record for Arizona, you can go to the Collection for Arizona Deaths.

Procedures to Select Specific Collections
To select specific collections, two procedures can be used:


 * From the main search window, you can look under the heading "Browse by Location" and select the geographic area within which you will search. For example, you can select USA, Canada and Mexico.  From this screen, you can narrow the search to the United States. For another example, you can select Europe and narrow the search to Germany.
 * From the main search window, you can select All Record Collections. Within this screen, you can scroll down and see what collections are available.

Exact Name Searches
Within an Advanced Search, one can search by exact name. An exact name search is performed by clicking in the small square at the right end of the First Names box and/or the Last Name box. Unless exact search is selected, the search engine will search for similar names. As a general rule, one will not want to use an exact search. In historical documents, spelling of names is not consistent. In addition, for various reasons, peoples names changed.

Searching by Last Name Only
Within Basic Search or Advanced Search, one can search by last name or surname only. A surname search can be valuable when that surname is unusual.

Searching by Given Name(s) Only
Within Basic or Advanced Search, one can also search by given name(s) only. This type of search may be useful if:


 * the given name is very unusual; or
 * one can filter the search to reduce the number of responses.

Using Wildcard in Name Searches

 * You can make wildcard searches, substituting an * in place of one or more letters. In order to use wildcards, you must use at least three letters.  For example, one could search for w*lb*n to find a surname that might be spelled Wilborn, Willborn, Welborn, Wilburn, Wilbourne, Welbourne, etc.

Narrowing a Search by Location or Time Period
When conducting a Basic or an Advanced Search, one can narrow the geographic location and/or the time period.