Pedigree Resource File

= What is the Pedigree Resource File (PRF) =

Pedigree Resource File is a growing collection of user submitted genealogies. It shows individuals’ names; family relationships; and dates and places of birth, marriage, and death. No merges, corrections, or additions are made to genealogies submitted to Pedigree Resource File.

= When to Use It =

a. Use Pedigree Resource File to discover what genealogical research has already been done on your family. b. As with all compiled genealogies, Pedigree Resource File has significant limitations (see below) and more accurate information is available from the original records.

= Limitations =

Submitters are responsible for the accuracy of the information. FamilySearch did not check the accuracy of any contributed genealogy. b. Information in Pedigree Resource File is second-hand. Verify the information before accepting it. c. Submitter information, previously available, is now hidden for privacy reasons. d. Pedigree Resource File contains many errors and unlike the new FamilySearch Tree, corrections are not accepted. e. To make corrections, submitters are advised to make another submission that includes corrections. Both old and new submissions are left in Pedigree Resource File. Search results will return both the incorrect and the corrected information. 4. Tips for Searching Pedigree Resource File

= Why Submit =

Sharing your genealogy allows you to preserve your family history in the Pedigree Resource File and share it with others around the world. A copy of the genealogy files (GEDCOM format) that you submit will be preserved in the Granite Mountain Records Vault located near Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, your genealogy may be made conveniently available to others either on compact disc or on the Internet. b. You can quickly and easily submit your genealogy: i. First, obtain permission from any living persons mentioned in your genealogy to submit their information to FamilySearch. Remember, notes and sources attached to an entry for a deceased person may also include information about a living person. For privacy reasons, you must remove any information about living persons if you do not have their permission to submit it. ii. Second, review your notes and sources to make sure they don't contain any offensive or inappropriate statements about another person. If found, remove such information. iii. Third, save your genealogy in a GEDCOM file format on your personal computer. Many genealogy software programs provide the capability to save your records in a GEDCOM file format (where the file is named with a .ged extension -- for example: eastleyhistory.ged). Please see the instructions provided with your software for more information. iv. Fourth, submit the GEDCOM file that you have created to FamilySearch. You will need to agree to the conditions for submitting your genealogy before submitting the file. For instructions, see “Submitting to the Pedigree Resource File.”

= Pedigree Resource File on Disk =

Formerly, Pedigree Resource File was available for individual purchase on 147 disks (CD and DVD). b. FamilySearch is discontinuing distribution of record collections on disk. c. Pedigree Resource File is no longer sold on disk. d. Copies of the 147 disks are available for use in many family history centers. e. New submissions to Pedigree Resource File will be available only online.

= Frequently Asked Questions =

What is the difference between Ancestral File and Pedigree Resource File? i. Both files are the results of user submitted genealogies. Submissions to Ancestral File were merged into one common pedigree. Submissions to Pedigree Resource File are kept separate from other submissions. Notes and sources submitted were preserved in Pedigree Resource File submissions but discarded from Ancestral File submissions. b. How do I contribute to Pedigree Resource File? i. See “Submitting to the Pedigree Resource File.” c. How do I correct errors in Pedigree Resource File? i. Corrections are not accepted for Pedigree Resource File. Corrections can be made in the new FamilySearch Tree. Submitters are invited to resubmit genealogies that incorporate desired corrections. However, the submission does not replace the old submission. Both old and new, incorrect and correct, are in the file. d. How accurate is Pedigree Resource File? i. The information in Pedigree Resource File is submitted by users of the FamilySearch website. Some people may have contributed incorrect or incomplete information. FamilySearch does not verify the accuracy of information in Pedigree Resource File. ii. Some genealogies include notes and sources, which can help surmise the accuracy of a particular genealogy. e. Are living people included in Pedigree Resource File? i. Pedigree Resource File does not display information about living people. People born less than 95 years ago who do not have a death date in the file are considered living. f. How do I contact submitters to Pedigree Resource File? i. For privacy reasons, the online Pedigree Resource File does not display personal information about submitters. Instead, it displays identifiers composed of parts of submitters' names followed by 7-digit numbers. The DVD FORMAT of Pedigree Resource File displays submitter names and contact information. g. Why are there duplicate records in the Pedigree Resource File? i. No merges are made to genealogies submitted to the Pedigree Resource File, even from the same submitter. You may therefore see duplicate records in the file. h. How do I export a GEDCOM of a Pedigree Resource File submission? i. It is not possible to export GEDCOMs from the online Pedigree Resource File.

= History =

May 1999 – Ability to submit genealogies on the new www.familysearch.org. Submissions occurred at the rate of about 1.2 million names per month. b. 1999 – CDs 1-8 c. February 2000 – Ability to search the master index of all Pedigree Resource File CD-ROM discs. d. July 2000 – First nine discs are available. e. 2000 – CDs 9-22 f. 4 January 2003 Submissions to the Ancestral File are no longer accepted. Contributors told to submit to the Pedigree Resource File (PRF) instead. g. 2001 – CDs 23-36 h. 2002 – CDs 37-54 i. 2003 – CDs 55-75 j. 2004 – CDs 76-100 k. 2005 – CDs 101-125 l. 2006 – DVDs 126-130 m. 12 Mar 2007 – Total names exceeds 150 million. File has been growing by about 19 million names a year. Added the ability to view pedigrees online. n. 2007 – DVDs 131-137 o. 2008 – DVDs 138-143 p. 2009 – DVDs 144-147 q. 2010 – DVDs 148-150

= Links =

Videos and Online lessons

 * If I’d Only Known! Beginner Genealogy Mistakes (Section: Collecting Answers)
 * Ancestors Season 2: Compiled Records

Articles

 * Family Trees: An Online Research Tool
 * Submitting to the Pedigree Resource File
 * Use the Internet for Family History Research