User:Nolaneclark/sandbox

Introduction
Rember the basic principle: Less is More. The fewer the restrictions on the search, the more records will be found.

In most cases, the best strategy is to enter a first and last name into the basic search window and subsequently narrow down the results by using filters when too many records are retrieved.

However, to select the best strategy for a particular search, one should understand the alternatives.

Types 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. The Basic Search can also be narrowed by the place and time periods.

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 and locate records naming both parents. One can even enter both parents' names, omit the name of the child, and locate all children listed with the parents designated.

Be careful in entering the mother's last name. Note that if one uses the mother's maiden name, one may 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. Note, however, that one can narrow a search by using filters, rather than searching by a particular event.

Deciding Whether to Search All Records or Particular Collections
When one performs a search for any name entered, the search engine will automatically 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.

Once again, remember that one can search within all records and then narrow the number of documents by using filters.

However, going to particular collections may be valable when historical records have been digitzed but not indexed. These records can be found by selecting specific record collections.

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. This will provide a listing of all historical records that have been digitized and/or indexed.  Within this listing, one can scroll down and select the record collection desired.

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, names change.

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 a surname is unusual.

Searching by Given Name(s) Only
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 subsequently 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. Wilcards can be helpful because spelling was not consistent and recordkeepers often prepared records based on what they heard.

Alternatives in Searching by Location and Time Period
One can also search by location only. That is, one can type in a location and not type in any name. Such a search will yield all records naming that location. For example, one can use a location search to identify indexed records for a particular parish

When searching for a particular person, one can narrow the geographic location and/or the time period.

Within Advanced Search, one can narrow the search to an exact location.

Using Filters
If a search on FamilySearch yields a large number of results, one can narrow down the results by using filters. Properly used, filters provide a powerful tool.

The list of possible filters appears on the left side of the list of search results. Not all possible filters will appear on any particular search. Only those filters will appear that are applicable to the retrieved data.

Types of Filters
The possible filters that may appear are: • Collections (Type of records) • Birthplace • Birth Year • Marriage Place • Marriage Year • Residence Place • Residence Year • Death Place • Death Year • Other Place (for events such as migration, naturalization or military service) • Other Year • Gender

What is separated out by the various filters?
The Collections Filter separates out records by the following record types:


 * Birth, Marriage &amp; Death
 * Census &amp; Lists
 * Migration &amp; Naturalization
 * Military
 * Other
 * Probate &amp; Court

The  Place Filters  separate out records by major land areas:


 * Africa
 * Asia &amp; Middle East
 * Australia &amp; New Zealand
 * Canada, USA and Mexico
 * Caribbean, Central and South America
 * Europe
 * Other
 * Pacific Islands

One can use subfilters to narrow down results that appear for these major land areas. For example, the category for Canada, USA and Mexico is broken down into each of these three countries. Canada is further broken down by province. United States and Mexico are further broken down by state.

The  Year Filters  separate out records by century, with the possibility of further separating out records by decade.

Should One Use Multiple Filters?
Factors to consider in deciding to use multiple filters:


 * You can combine as many different filters as you need. For example, you can use filters for collection type, birthplace, birth date, and gender at the same time. You cannot, however, select more than one filter of the same type. For example, you cannot select more than one birthplace filter (such as Virginia and North Carolina).
 * As you apply filters, remember that the effect of the filters is cumulative. Each new filter is applied to the set of search results that are currently shown on the screen. For example, if you apply a birth date filter, the search results are constrained to the records that match that filter. Applying a birthplace filter takes that constrained set of results and reduces it to the records that match both the birthplace and birth date.
 * Adding too many filters may cause you to miss valid records in your search results. So that you can tell which filters are applied, they appear highlighted in white.
 * The drop-down window for each filter type shows in parentheses the number of records contained within each category.

To remove a filter or subfilter, simply click the x that appears next to it.