You received an email with a link to a historical record that may contain information about an ancestor you added to Family Tree.
We’ll help you review the historical record and compare it to the information that is already in Family Tree.
Find New Information to Add to Family Tree
The review involves two steps:
First, you’ll review the information on the record page to see if it appears to be a good match.
Then you’ll use the Source Linker tool to determine which details to copy over from the record to Family Tree to make your family story as accurate as possible.
Before we begin, it’s helpful to understand why historical records are important in learning about your family's history.
Why Historical Records Matter
When a baby is born, when a soldier goes off to war, when a couple is married—these types of events can generate a historical record.
Records may provide proof that a certain thing happened to certain people on certain day in a certain place. This information can add important details to your family story.
Now, it’s time to look at the record and compare it to what is already in Family Tree.
Step 1: Determine if it is a Good Match
On the record page you can see the Family Tree information you added for the ancestor at the top, and the information from the record on the bottom. The table at the left of the record section shows the information that was indexed (extracted) from historical record. When available, an image of the actual historical record appears at the right.
Compare details like names, dates, places, and relationships to see what information you can add to Family Tree to validate the important information about your ancestor. More on this later.
If it seems like a good match, move on to Step 2 by selecting Review and Attach Record.
Step 2: Decide which Details to Keep
Selecting Review and Attach Record brings you to the Source Linker tool. It places the information from the record on the left, and lines it up with the corresponding information from Family Tree on the right.
Look for information that is in the record, but is not yet in Family Tree.
Again, focus on names, dates, relationships, and locations.Names: Are the names the same, similar, or a logical variation? Think “James vs. Jim, or Jack vs. John.”
Dates: Sometimes the year isn’t a perfect match. Dates that are relatively close may be considered a match if the other information on the record seems accurate.
Relationships: Do parent, spouse, child, or other relationships seem accurate?
Locations: Do place names match those given in other information about the family? Are they in the general vicinity of known family locations?
Select "Compare" to look at all the information for the person. Select "Add" to move the information from the record to the Family Tree.
When you have moved over all the information you want to add to Family Tree, include a reason to attach the source. This might be something as simple as “Provides evidence of birth and death information.” Then select Attach.
Your Story Lives On
Adding new details to Family Tree helps tell your family story, and ensures that it is told accurately for generations to come.
To get started, close this Tab to return to the record page. And, watch for an invitation to a survey about how helpful this information has been to you.
