Genealogical research can be daunting at best. Are there any resources out there that will make it easier? The answer is yes! FamilySearch Wiki (familysearch.org/wiki/en) is a jewel in the genealogical community as an aid to researchers seasoned and novice alike.
Oh no! You discovered your great-grandfather is from New York state. You know nothing about New York research. Never fear! FamilySearch Wiki will guide and tutor you through your research.
For example, you will find on the New York state wiki research page step-by-step research strategies, interactive maps that link to the county level and the information available there. It has information on where to locate vital records concerning the area you are researching and what state census records are available.
FamilySearch Wiki has 87,802 articles to aid you in your research. The Wiki suggests that when you research their website that you use keywords and not phrases. “New York” is a good example. The Wiki also suggests that you start with broad localities and then click to smaller ones. You would start by searching with the keyword “New York” and go to the New York article and then click on the county or record level.
The Wiki has a great article found on their homepage for those new to research. It takes you through the steps you need to know so that you can do your family history research. It takes you through the research cycle explaining each step of the way. The Wiki also has the blank forms you need to record your information on. There are ideas on how to organize your records. It shows you how to view and search records. The article also teaches you how narrow your research down so that it is not so overwhelming. It has everything a novice needs to know.
This website is ever changing as more information is added. Contributors are great at explaining the idiosyncrasies of researching the locations of their expertise such as record losses, boundary changes, or even information about records found in unusual places. There are letter writing guides to help you if you need to write to repositories in a foreign language. Handwriting guides also help if you are looking at old handwriting or foreign alphabets.
The information available on FamilySearch wiki is vast. Take a look and see if there is information that will aid you in your search for your ancestors.
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