Alan E. Mann, AG

alan.familyhistory@gmail.com                                                                               Accredited Genealogist

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy                                                                              January 2006

Power Tools for Internet Genealogy

 

Using FamilySearch™

 

 

FamilySearch underwent a “facelift” a few months ago. With only a few exceptions, the content and the searches are exactly the same as before. What changed was the layout of the first page and what you can do from that first page. What’s actually new is:

 

1.      A copy of FGS presentations about the future of FamilySearch

2.      The addition of www.familysearchindexing.com

3.      Frequent updates to Pedigree Resource File, the IGI (International Genealogical Index) and Family History Library Catalog (FHLC)

4.      New ideas, concepts, and directions

 

FamilySearch is divided into four major sections—Home, Search, Share, and Library.

 

Home

1.      News – list of articles and announcements about FamilySearch.

2.      The FamilySearch Questions section is where you should look for answers to questions or just to learn more about using this web site.

3.      Product Support gives more answers to questions about the web site and products of the Family History Library.

4.      This is where you order CD-ROM products. Note PAF download on home page.

 

Search (5 bold headings below are the tabs on the search screen)

Search for Ancestors. This screen defaults to the same search as the home page—all resources, but offers you the option of searching databases one at a time. These databases are:

1.      Ancestral File

2.      IGI

3.      Census (1880-81)

4.      Pedigree Resource File

5.      Social Security Death Index

6.      Vital Records Index (some)

7.      Family History Web Sites (older database)

 

 

Tips for federated (all resources) searching:

·        Fill out as little information as needed for an effective search. With an unusual name, searching by surname without entering a first name may give you results otherwise overlooked. Leave some fields blank so as not to miss an entry that varies only slightly from the information you know.

·        Look at the Sources Searched box, which tells you which databases (Ancestral File, IGI, etc.) had that name in it (and how many). You can click on any of the sources in that box to restrict your view to just results from that source.

·        The Sources Searched also tells you if there were more than 25 hits from each source. NOTE that only 25 are shown in the combined search results screen.

·        Understand what the different databases are and where they came from. Extraction and submission are different. NONE of them are complete.

·        You may have additional search options if you select one database rather than the federated search (all resources). You also will see more hits per screen.

·        Use caution before using the exact spelling box. Only exact spelling considers a middle name. Otherwise, middle names are IGNORED in FamilySearch.

·        Consider using Hugh Wallis middle name index batch number index (see freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hughwallis/)

 

Tips for searching a single database:

1.      Use the batch number search in the IGI. This displays names submitted in one batch or on a specific sheet. Limit a search by town or parish using Hugh Wallis’ web site at freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers.htm.

2.      Use the submission number search in Pedigree Resource File. This allows you to see every name submitted by that person in that single submission. Also use the excellent tool PRFMagnet (small cost) available at www.pedigreemagnet.com.

3.      Tips for Census Records

a.      Three censuses (U.S. 1880, Canada 1881, Great Britain 1881) have full information with every name is indexed. Most people can easily find their ancestors for two or three generations—back to a person in the 1880-1881 time period. When you find a person on the census, you can see their parents, brothers, and sisters.

b.      Each census can be searched several ways. It is important to experiment and discover the search options. Consider reading search tips on the site. Remember, there are at least two places for each person—the place born and the residence when the census was taken. Often they are living in a different state, county, or province than the birthplace. Consider this as you are searching.

c.       On the search screen, select place of birth or census place (residence) or both. Don’t confuse the two if they aren’t the same. For example, your ancestor was born in Ohio in 1844, but living in Utah in 1880.  Don’t specify “Utah” as birth place, nor do you specify “Ohio” as census place, but the other way around.

Research Guidance guides you step by step through the process of finding the desired information on a person. You tell the time period he or she lived, and RG tells you what records exist for that time period in that place and outlines how you can go about finding what you are looking for. Give it a try!

1.      See How Do I Begin and Determining the Country Where Your Ancestor Lived, links on the left hand side of the screen when you click on Research Guidance.

2.      Have a specific ancestor and goal in mind before using Research Guidance.

Research Helps has all of the publications of the Family History Library, including Research Outlines, Research Guides, Forms, Word Lists, and more.

1.      Use options to sort by different criteria.

2.      Offers help on "Organizing My Files," contents of FHL registers, and much more.

3.      Check out the forms available.

4.      There are guides to writing letters in other languages.

 

Web Sites searches the list of other web sites that FamilySearch volunteers have categorized. This section of the site is no longer maintained and will eventually disappear. Note that you can also browse the list by category.

 

Family History Library Catalog is the same as shown below under Library (see below).

 

Share

This section is to log in to familysearch.org. Enter username and password each time you visit familysearch.org and click on the Share tab. If you are an LDS church member, check the box that says “I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” and confirm your membership by entering your membership record number and confirmation date (get it from your ward clerk). This section has two separate areas:

 

Collaborate with others.

·        Note that there are four types of lists--same ancestor, surname, place, or topic (the same topics used in Browse Web Sites).

·        When searching, you will get better results using the second radio button (starts with the keyword). Thus a search for Mann will not get Ackermann or Hermann.

·        When using the keyword search, consider entering a space after the name. Thus, a search for Mann with a space after it will exclude Manning and Manners.

·        If your search doesn’t find anything, create a group.

·        Join those groups that apply to your ancestry, but remember that you won’t get anything until someone sends another message. Past messages are not available.

 

Share my Genealogy.

This is how you get information into the Pedigree Resource File. It is done over the Internet using a GEDCOM export of your genealogy data file.

1.      Check your notes and sources before submitting. Take out any derogatory comments or anything else you don’t want shared.

2.      Remove details on living people before submitting.

3.      You can check the status of your submission at any time.

4.      Use the box to add a descriptive paragraph. Make the paragraph useful (the major surnames, places, and time period in the database being submitted).

 

Library

Check classes being taught at the Family History Library. See notes on major conferences. The major section here is the FHLC. Consider the following FHLC tips:

  1. Want to print a catalog record? Look at the bottom of the screen, and click "For a printable version of this record, click here." It will print all details at once.
  2. When many catalog records are returned, they appear in alphabetical order by the title. Sometimes the title is not what you expect (e.g., an English parish register will be listed in the C’s as Church of England, parish of….).
  3. Once a record is displayed, click on View Film Notes to get the film number. If there is no such button, the source is not available on film or fiche.
  4. Use an online gazetteer to find how a place is listed. For example, an FHLC search for Goretto, Italy said no such place exists. The gazetteer told me that "Goretto" was in Genova. Using strategy #5, search Genova as the place (Italy in the second box), then click on View Related Places. It shows that the FHLC lists it as Italy, Genova, Fontanarossa (Gorreto)
  5. Use View Related Places. You need to know the level above the one you want (you want a town, so find the county 1st -if you want a county, go to the state 1st). 
  6. A subject search returns subject headings, not records. Even though few subjects are given, the # of records under those headings could be thousands.
  7. The subject search itself is literal, not intelligent.

 

Other

You may want to consider using familysearcher, PedigreeMagnet, or PAFInsight to get more from familysearch.org. Other improvements to FamilySearch on the Internet are planned for the future. Watch for future announcements!

 

 

©Copyright 2004-2006 by Alan E. Mann, AG.  All rights reserved.  Written permission to reproduce all or part of this syllabus material  in any format, including photocopying, data retrieval or the Internet, must be secured in advance from the copyright holder.