FamilySearch Wiki:Headings for Articles about Records

Wiki contributors frequently ask "How should I write articles. What kinds of information should I include?" To help answer this, a committee of FamilySearch employees and wiki volunteers compiled a list of the headings used by various authors in wiki articles, in FamilySearch publications, and in Record Search at FamilySearch Labs. The following is a list of those headings.

Fear not
This list of headings is not intended to restrict authors, but to prompt them to write the kinds of information that will be useful to readers. As you write, feel free to experiment in changing the order or wording of these headings or by combining them or omitting them when appropriate.

An example
The first wiki article which implemented this list of headings was the Maryland Newspapers page. Studying this page will show you that some of the headings were combined, so feel free to experiment. We will learn best practices as we implement the list.

Headings to copy and paste
Below are each of the headings from the table laid out so you can easily cut and paste them into articles.

Introduction/Definition

Record coverage

Why to use [this record]

Record content

Before searching you must know

What to search before using this record

Where to get [this record]

How to search or use [this record]

[An image of the record]

Reliability of [this record]

Tips

What to do next

Terms

Important Dates

See Also