Family History Library
35 N. West Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400
USA

• Family History Centers. Copies of most microform records at the Family History Library can be loaned to many Family History Centers. There are small duplication and postage fees for this service.
  

The library's books cannot be loaned to the centers, but copies of many books not protected by copyright are available on microfilm or microfiche.

You can get a list of the Family History Centers near you by writing to the Family History Library at the address above.

• Archives and local churches. Most of the original documents you will need are in local archives or local parish offices. While the Family History Library has many records on microfilm, later records are available only at these archives. You can request searches in their records through correspondence (see the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline).
• Libraries and interlibrary loan. Public, academic, and other research libraries may have some published sources for Swedish research. Many libraries also provide interlibrary loan services that allow you to borrow records from other libraries.
• Professional researchers. You can hire a private researcher that specializes in Swedish research to search the records for you. The Family History Library has a list of qualified, professional researchers. Archives in Sweden may also provide names of individuals who can search the records for you. You will need to make your own arrangements with them.
• Photocopies. The Family History Library and many other libraries offer limited photoduplication services for a small fee. You must specify the exact pages you need. Books protected by copyright cannot be copied in their entirety. However, a few pages can usually be copied for personal research. You may request copies of documents from the archive, library, or office that stores the records. Most archives offer photographic prints of some records, but the costs may be high.
  

When requesting services from libraries or professional researchers through correspondence, you will have more success if your letter is brief and very specific. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) when writing within your own country. When writing to other countries, enclose international reply coupons (available from your post office). You will usually need to send a check or money order in advance to pay for photocopy or search services.

Suggestions for Searching the Records. You will be most successful with Swedish research if you can examine copies of the original records, which will be mostly on microfilm.

Follow these principles as you search the records:

• Search for one generation at a time. Do not try to connect your family to others of the same surname who lived more than a generation before your proven ancestor. It is much easier to prove parentage than descent.
• Search for the ancestor's entire family. The records of each person in a family may include clues for identifying other family members. In most families, children were born at regular intervals. If there appears to be a longer period between some children, reexamine the records for a child who may have been overlooked. Consider looking at other records and in other places to find a missing family member.
• Search each source thoroughly. The information that you need in order to find a person or trace the family further may be a minor detail of the record you are searching. Note your ancestor's occupation and the names of witnesses, godparents, neighbors, relatives, guardians, and others. Also, note the places they are from.
• Search a broad time period. Some sources may not have accurate dates. Look several years before and after the date you think an event, such as a birth, occurred.
• Look for indexes. Many records have indexes. However, many indexes are incomplete. They may only include the name of the specific person the record is about. They may not include parents, witnesses, and other incidental persons. Also be aware that the original records may have been misinterpreted or names may have been omitted during indexing.
• Search for prior residence. Information about previous residences is crucial to successful research.
• Watch for spelling and name variations. Look for the many ways a name could have been spelled. Spelling was not standardized when most early records were made. You may find a name spelled differently than it is today. Also, names may have several variations. Karin, Cajsa (Kaisa), and Catharina (Katrina) are all variations of the same name, and you may find the same person listed with any of them at different times.
  

Record Your Searches and Findings. Copy the information you find, and keep detailed notes about each record you search. These notes should include the author, title, location, call numbers, description, and results of your search. Most researchers use a research log for this purpose.

Step 5. Use the Information

Evaluate the Information You Find. Carefully evaluate whether the information you find is complete and accurate. Ask yourself:

• Who provided the information? Did that person witness the event?
• Was the information recorded near the time of the event or later?
• Is the information consistent and logical?
• Does the new information verify the information found in other sources? Does it differ from information in other sources?
• Does it suggest other places, time periods, or records to search?