FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject FamilySearch Historical Records

About
The FamilySearch Wiki Historical Records Project contains articles which provide descriptions of the historical record collections published online. This project is ongoing. As new collections are prepared for publication, articles will be written describing the collections overall and the records available in the collections.

User Guidance
This project is overseen by the User Guidance unit. Members of the unit are responsible for creating and monitoring Historical Records articles.

Supervisor
The User Guidance supervisor coordinates all User Guidance team members and facilitates interactions with other FamilySearch units. The supervisor's user page is available at User:HoranDM.

Coordinators
Each coordinator is assigned specific localities around the world. Coordinators are responsible for creating the Historical Records articles about the collections that publish for their localities. These articles include basic information about the collection, instructions on how to most effectively search the collection, as well as tips and links to other wiki articles or websites that may be helpful to the user. The coordinators use FamilySearch programs to obtain and include collection and record information.

Coordinators' user pages are available as follows:


 * User:TimothyNB
 * User:Hardybe
 * User:Chickitalie
 * User:Rashby3
 * User:Robertmcall

Project Contributors
Contributors to the project are community members who help expand the articles created by User Guidance. They participate by helping with image translations, record content description, related website listing, and other needed additions.

Project Box
A project box has been created for those participating in this project. The purpose of this box is to show your participation in the project as well as aggregate the names of all contributors into an easily searchable list. This box can be added to your profile page by using the "Insert/Edit Template" tool, switching to the "Manual" tab and selecting "Template:Userboxhistoricalproject" from the drop-down menu. (Without using the rich text editor, the box can be added by including " " in the wiki code.)

Style Guide
These articles are written at a basic level for beginning users. The style guide—Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections—explains how to create and edit content for the wiki articles. Please review the guide before contributing to the project. Any questions concerning the guide can be posted on the FamilySearch Collections Talk page.

Project Tasks
See which projects currently need content.

These tasks involve adding information to wiki articles describing the relating FamilySearch Collection. There are multiple sub-tasks that involve adding content. These may be done independently of each other.

Images with Translations:

Sample images are added to the articles. If the collection is not in English, the sample image needs to be translated into English.

For more information about adding content for these tasks see Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections.

Record Description:


 * Describe the physical state of the originals, including water damage, torn pages, bleed-through, and fire damage. For an example see Spain Catholic Church Records.
 * Describe the dates covered by the collection. For an example see Sri Lanka Colombo Dutch Reformed Church Records.
 * Describe the history of the collection and the records, which might include the processes, creation and disposition of the records. Relate information about localities, jurisdictions, and religious or ethnic groups. For an example of a Record History see llinois Cook County Birth Certificates (FamilySearch Historical Records).
 * Describe the original intent of the creation of a specific collection. For an example seeEngland Cheshire School Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Record Content:


 * This section includes sub-headers in bold text for the major record types found within the collection. A phrase similar to "[Record type] records may contain the following information" is generally included, followed by a list of genealogically relevant information contained in the record type. Some collections contain several types of records and may need a list for each record type. For an example see Spain, Diocese of Albacete, Catholic Church Records.

How to Use the Record:


 * Explain to wiki users how the records can be used to help them find out more about their ancestors.
 * Describe research strategies that are helpful when dealing with the collection.
 * Explain what the next step would generally be in order to follow on the information obtained in the collection.
 * If the collection has an index, describe how to find indexed records in the collection. For an example see United States Census, 1940.

Related Websites and Wiki Articles:


 * Related website links: Links from the wiki article to related websites. Such links could include other websites hosting a similar collection, maps and history of the area, genealogy groups specifically dealing with the collection area, etc.
 * Related wiki articles: Links from the wiki article to other wiki articles. Such links could include the main locality/country landing page, wiki articles describing similar collections, and wiki articles with research helps for the locality.

How to Get Started
The following articles will help you get started with various aspects of working on a wiki article.
 * Getting Started with Historical Records: Information on ways to contribute to FamilySearch wiki.
 * FamilySearch Records Project Training Page: Information on how to edit and complete tasks for the project. Updated often so check back.
 * Welcome to FamilySearch : Introductory article for all new users
 * FamilySearch Records Project: Getting Started: Provides information for those just getting started as well as resources for more in-depth information

Projects Needing Content
Below are links to the lists of projects that need to be completed. They are divided by region. Click on the region that you wish to work on and help out with the projects listed there.


 * Africa
 * Asia
 * Australia and Pacific Islands
 * Caribbean
 * Europe
 * North and Central America
 * South America

Alternatively, you can work on project pages by topic.

Articles needing:


 * Title translations
 * Image translations
 * Incomplete sections
 * General stubs

Thank you for all your help and contributions to this project.