Organize Your Genealogy


 * User:Jamestanner
 * User:Jamestanner/Sandbox

Research Tasks
Want more information about a specific locality/topic Organize my genealogy information

Contributing Tasks
Task: Understand how the wiki is organized (for contributors with a little more experience)

Looking for information about a specific locality or topic
In the Research Wiki helpful articles are organized in two different ways; by locality or by topic.

Genealogical sources are usually found in or near the place where a person was born, lived or died.

You can search for information about a location by typing the location into the search box. You should start with the largest geographic area.

Finding information about a specific locality
Before you begin a search for information on a specific locality, it is a good idea to verify a connection between your ancestor and the locality. Here are some resources to assist you in finding and verifying locality information.


 * A New Genealogy Research Locality Tool
 * Locality Subject Subdivisions
 * How to Get the Best Research Advice
 * Guessing the Easiest to Research Person and Event
 * How to Guess Where to Start
 * How to Begin a Search for Your Ancestor
 * A Guide to Research

It is always helpful to locate places on a map in order to see relationships and to support or deny a theory about the family's movements. Look at the basic Research Wiki page for Maps. Remember the online mapping programs.

Finding information about a specific topic
The Research Wiki is partially organized by topic or subject as well as geographically. But each geographic area in the entire Wiki has its own list of topics. Here is a sample list from the general topic of the United States:
 * Basic Search Strategies
 * Record Selection Table
 * States and Capitols Map
 * Adoption
 * African Americans
 * American Indians
 * Archives and Libraries
 * Bible Records
 * Biography
 * Cemeteries
 * Census
 * Church Records
 * Correctional Institutions
 * Court Records
 * Database Websites
 * Directories
 * Emigration and Immigration
 * Funeral Homes
 * Gazetteers
 * Genealogy
 * Handwriting
 * Historical Geography
 * History
 * Land and Property
 * Maps
 * Migration
 * Military Records
 * Minorities
 * Naturalization and Citizenship
 * Newspapers
 * Obituaries
 * Occupations
 * Periodicals
 * Probate Records
 * Societies
 * Timeline
 * Taxation
 * Town Records
 * Vital Records
 * Voter Records
 * Other Records
 * For Further Reading

Try looking for a specific geographic jurisdiction for a list of topics more directed at that location.

Organizing your genealogical information
As you begin your genealogical research, you may soon find the need to organize the information you find. There are many ways to organize genealogical information and you need to find a method that is most helpful to you personally.


 * Organizing Your Files
 * Document AS YOU GO!
 * Family History for Beginners
 * Organize the New Records

What is genealogy?
Genealogy is the process of discovering information about your family in an organized fashion. Further, it is a collection of tools, methodologies and procedures for organizing and analyzing the information that you find.

Related Research Wiki Articles


 * Principles of Family History Research

What is the goal of genealogical research?
The goal of genealogical research is to compile, as accurately as possible, an organized collection of information about your family.

Where do I find information about my family?
Records about individuals and families are found in records maintained by those individuals, those families, civil governments, social organizations, religious organizations,

Where are the records located?
Records with information about your family might be located anywhere your family may have lived. Most genealogical records are associated with a geographic location but they can also be located according to the political jurisdiction at the time the event occurred.

What is the Research Wiki?
The Research Wiki is a huge collection of short articles about how to find your family and where to look for information about where to find ancestors.

How can I use the Research Wiki?

 * Are you looking for information about doing genealogy or family history?
 * Are you looking for information about finding a specific ancestor?
 * Do you need help organizing your research?
 * Do you need help finding a specific type of record?
 * Did you want to find out about the Research Wiki?

How is the Research Wiki organized?
The Research Wiki has information in three major categories:
 * Information about the Research Wiki itself
 * Information about genealogical resources organized by location
 * Information about genealogical resources organized by subject matter

Relevant Research Wiki Articles:
 * FamilySearch Research Wiki: Why I Participate

How do I find information in the Research Wiki?
The Research Wiki is basically a searchable collection of articles about genealogy. You do this by entering search terms such as place names, types of source documents, or other words in the search boxes on nearly every page. Here are some Research Wiki Articles on searching:
 * Help:Searching
 * Search for Articles in the FamilySearch Research Wiki
 * Help:Basic Searches
 * Select Records to Search

What other information is in the Research Wiki?
Entry tracks into the Research Wiki (Levels of interest and experience in the Research Wiki) Needs Information about genealogy and how to do genealogical research Experienced in genealogy, needs information about Research Wiki Looking for specific content information, needs help finding the information