View source for FamilySearch Wiki:About Us

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'''Welcome to FamilySearch Wiki''' 

The FamilySearch Wiki is a tool for finding information about subjects, records that may have been generated about your ancestors, and the places in which the records might be found. It is a vast information depository. When you search in the Wiki you can search for places your ancestors lived, but also for subjects and research methods to help you understand and learn about the history of your families. You can possibly find records and record collections from the states, counties and cities where your ancestors may have worked and lived. You will not find Wiki pages about specific ancestors, but you may find a link to a database that contains your ancestor's birth, marriage and/or death record! Until you have found your Great, great, great Grandfather in a census record dating back to when he was 5 years old...you can't imagine the surprise and joy that you can experience through your work on the Wiki! 

The Wiki has information from the United States, as well as from [[Browse by Country|244 countries, territories, and islands.]] Here you will be able to find information about records available in these countries as well as links to documents, such as [[United States Census|census]] records, [[United States Marriage Records|marriage]] records, [[United States Birth Records|birth]] records and [[United States Death Records|death]] records, and much more. [[United States Probate Records|Probate]] documents are often very informative and may help you in your search. There is an extensive list of links to United States [[United States Military Records|military]] records on the Wiki. 

With research and reading, combined with some information gathering to lay the groundwork, you can begin to construct your family tree and fill in the blanks that may have eluded you. The FamilySearch Wiki is a wonderful place to start to learn about the places your ancestors resided in order to be better able to discover further information and records! 

By simply typing a word or two into the search engine at the top right of the page, you can begin to see some of the thousands of information pages that are here on the FamilySearch Wiki. Although each page is different—it is a community-compiled information source—you can find location- and subject-specific information as well as links to record collections from all over the world. Watch this video, [https://www.familysearch.org/ask/learningViewer/734 FamilySearch Research Wiki:What it Can Do for You!], to learn how to use the Wiki. Other Wiki videos showing how to use the Wiki are found [[Wiki_Wizard_Videos|here]]. 

In addition to searching for information here on the FamilySearch Wiki, we would like to invite you to contribute to the Wiki by writing articles about where you might have found records we are missing and editing articles that may need editing. We view the Wiki as a community effort that will only get better with your participation. The only thing more fun than watching your family tree grow is helping others to grow their family trees as well. Your expertise is needed! 

<br> '''To use the Wiki in your search for ancestral records you will need to be prepared.''' 

1. Think about what you want to find about your ancestor. Be specific. 

2. Consider the location where that event might have happened.The more you can narrow your search, the more successful you will be.<br> 

3. Think about which specific records might contain the information you are seeking. 

4. Work backward instead of forward. Look for a death or marriage record before looking for a birth record. We generate more and more records the older we become. The later in time you look, the more likely you will be to find a record. 

5. Consider the record/document trails that all of us leave behind. 

6. When you begin adding names to your tree, remember to use first name, middle name, and last name whenever possible. He may have been "Uncle Tommy" to you, but on his records, he would most likely have been Thomas Middle Surname. 

'''It is helpful to know the following two pieces of information before you begin your search:''' 

:#'''A possible location''' where your ancestor may have lived; a town, city, county, state, or nation. 
:#'''A general time frame''' of the time between their births and their deaths.

== Valuable Resources  ==

Additional research advice can be found on: 

*[[Help:Tour|Get Started in the Wiki]] 
*[[Help:Keys to success using the Wiki|Help: Keys to Success Using the Wiki]] 
*[[FamilySearch Wiki:Success Stories|Success Stories]] 
*[[Rookie Mistakes|Rookie Mistakes]] 
*[[Family History for Beginners|Family History for Beginners]] 
*[[Identify What You Know|Identify What You Know]] 
*[[Obtain and Search the Records|Obtain and Search the Records]] 
*[[Use the Information|Use the Information]]

One of the following articles can help you [[How to Guess Where to Start|decide where to look first]] for a puzzling question: 

*[[Guessing a Name Variation|Name Variation]] 
*[[Guessing a Date|Date]] 
*[[Guessing a Place|Place]] 
*[[Guessing the Easiest to Research Person and Event|Easiest to Research Person and Event]] 
*[[Guessing a Record Type to Use|Record Type to Use]]

For information about contributing to the Wiki: 

*[[The Vision: Why We Built FamilySearch Wiki]] 
*[[FamilySearch Wiki:Purpose and Appropriate Topics|Purpose and Appropriate Topics]] 
*[[FamilySearch Wiki:Accuracy and collaboration|Accuracy and Collaboration]] 
*[[Content Organization, Browsing, and Categories]] 
*[[Help:Contributor Help|Contributor Help]]

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=== Learn more about ...  ===

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[[Category:Beginners]]