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FamilySearch Research Wiki
Homepage of FamilySearch Research Wiki
Type of site
Genealogy research
Available in11 languages (as of July 2014)
OwnerThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Created byFamilySearch
URLfamilysearch.org/wiki/en/Main_Page
RegistrationRequired for contributors
LaunchedDecember 14, 2007
Current statusActive
Content license
Creative Commons
Written inMediaWiki

The FamilySearch Research Wiki (formerly also known as the FamilySearch Wiki or the Family History Research Wiki) is a website containing reference information and educational articles to help locate and interpret genealogical records.[1][2] The wiki is part of the FamilySearch website and was launched in 2007. It is a free-access, free-content online directory and handbook that uses a wiki platform to organize pages. Content is created collaboratively by a member base made up of FamilySearch employees, Mormon missionaries, and the wider online community.[3] As of 2024, pages can be edited only by registered contributors who have completed training on current content policy.[3]

The site itself does not contain information about people or pedigrees, contains no photos or records, and does not accept genealogical queries. Rather, it helps users discover other websites and resources to find such information.

Content

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Content on the website is organised into article pages, most of which focus on a specific place. For example, a place may be a town, county, state, province, or nation. Each place article provides guidance on the specific types of records available in that jurisdiction. Every nation worldwide has at least one article, with more extensive coverage for places in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Content for a place article may include maps, primary repository contact information, organization dates, parent jurisdictions, internal subdivisions such as towns or counties, boundary changes, any record losses or gaps, neighboring localities, local record types, local migration routes, and other local libraries, archives, societies, or museums. Contributors may also include information about record start and stop dates, social life and customs that affected local record keeping, local record idiosyncrasies, records housed in unusual places, and tips for using the records more effectively.

Pages also exist for genealogical, historical, and surname societies.[4]

Religious doctrines, church policies, and religious images are not permitted on the Family History Research Wiki except where they directly impact genealogical research.[5]

History

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Content

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Starting about 1988, the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, then known as the Family History Library, developed a series of "research outlines"[6] to aid volunteer staff at its many FamilySearch Center branches, who offered free research advice to visitors.[7] When the FamilySearch Research Wiki was launched in late 2007, the electronic copies of these paper outlines were transferred into the wiki.

This resulted in about 162 initial articles, of which 86 were front-page articles, with each linked to around 25 related topical sub-pages. For example, the front-page article New Jersey Genealogy was linked to the New Jersey Biography, New Jersey Cemeteries, and New Jersey Census pages. Much of the early structure and phrasing of the wiki can be attributed to these publications.

Platform

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Screenshot of the FamilySearch Wiki MainPage in 2007-2008

The English-language wiki was launched on December 14, 2007.[8] Initially, it used Plone software.[9]

It was soon determined that MediaWiki software would be a better platform, and in January 2008, it was moved to MediaWiki.[citation needed] As of 2009, moderators had been introduced on the platform.[10] In October 2011, FamilySearch deployed the wiki in 10 additional languages.[9] In 2011, a Wiki Governance Team was set up, which in 2015 was replaced by the Governance Council whose role was to oversee the direction and management of the Research Wiki.[11][12]

In late March 2016, the wiki was transitioned to WikiMedia 1.23.10, a newer, more stable platform which required less maintenance from FamilySearch computer engineers.[citation needed] FamilySearch management dissolved the Wiki Governance Council in April 2021 and replaced it with a Wiki Executive Council.[13] In 2024 the Executive Council suspended the Adopt-a-Page program and the wiki Moderators program.[14] In July 2024, all users' editing rights were suspended, with contributors now required to complete training and pass a test on current FamilySearch content policy before contributing.[3] As of September 2024, it used MediaWiki version 1.39.6.[15]

Reception

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The Family History Research Wiki receives over 100 million views per year.[16] During most months, it is typically the second-most frequently visited section (out of ten sections) of FamilySearch, its host site. As of March 7, 2016, the English edition of the Family History Research Wiki had 150,561 registered users who had contributed to the creation of over 82,858 articles.[17]

This resource has been discussed by expert authors in how-to books,[18][19][20][21][22] in periodicals,[23][24][25][26][27][28] by instructors at genealogical conferences and classes,[29][30][31][32][33][34] on internet sites,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41] and in blogs.[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53] James Tanner wrote on his blog Genealogy's Star in 2014 that the Research Wiki was "the one most valuable genealogical resource on the Web."[54] In a 2014 radio interview, the Federation of Genealogical Societies praised the wiki for its potential benefits to local research and genealogical societies, recommending that societies add themselves to the wiki's database.[55]

References

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  1. ^ "FamilySearch Wiki:Introduction". FamilySearch.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  2. ^ "FamilySearch Wiki:About Us". FamilySearch.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "FamilySearch Wiki:Editing the Wiki | Editing Rights for ALL Contributors - Suspended July 1, 2024". www.familysearch.org. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  4. ^ "Category:Societies". www.familysearch.org. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  5. ^ FamilySearch Wiki:Purpose and Appropriate Topics in Family History Research Wiki (accessed March 6, 2016).
  6. ^ "Utah Research Outline" (PDF). Family History Library. June 3, 2001.
  7. ^ Family History Library, Family History Publications List (Salt Lake City: Family History Library, 1995), 1-4.
  8. ^ Revision history of "Main Page" in Family History Research Wiki (accessed March 6, 2016).
  9. ^ a b "FamilySearch Wiki:Non-English versions of the wiki". FamilySearch.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Archived from the original on June 24, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  10. ^ "FamilySearch Wiki:Moderator". www.familysearch.org. September 2, 2009. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  11. ^ "FamilySearch Wiki:Wiki Governance Council: Revision history". www.familysearch.org. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  12. ^ FamilySearch Wiki:Wiki Governance Council in Family History Research Wiki (accessed March 7, 2016).
  13. ^ "FamilySearch Wiki:Wiki Governance Council: Difference between revisions". www.familysearch.org. April 30, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  14. ^ "FamilySearch Wiki:Moderator". www.familysearch.org. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  15. ^ "Special:Version". www.familysearch.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  16. ^ James L. Tanner, Some Observations on the FamilySearch.org Research Wiki in Genealogy Star blog, January 4, 2016 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  17. ^ Statistics Archived March 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in Family History Research Wiki (accessed March 7, 2016).
  18. ^ Michael Dunn, A Beginner's Guide to Online Genealogy[permanent dead link‍] (Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, [2015]), 60.
  19. ^ Matthew L. Helm, and April Leigh Helm, Genealogy Online for Dummies (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing, Inc., [2008]).
  20. ^ Debbie Kennett, DNA and Social Networking: A Guide to Genealogy in the 21st Century (Stroud: History Press, 2011), 171. (accessed March 9, 2016). Described in a list of wikis.
  21. ^ Dana McCullough, Unofficial Guide to FamilySearch[permanent dead link‍] (Cincinnati, OH: Family Tree Books, 2015), 216-20. Chapter on Wiki.
  22. ^ James L. Tanner, Guide to FamilySearch Online (Mesa, Ariz.: Bookmark Graphics, 2011). From reader review: "I found the section on FamilySearch Wiki to be extremely helpful. This portion of the book is worth the price all by itself."
  23. ^ "Civil War and the FamilySearch Research Wiki," Crossroads, 6, no. 2 (June 2011).
  24. ^ "FamilySearch Research Wiki, Overview," Searchers and Researchers, 33, no. 2 (summer 2010).
  25. ^ "FamilySearch Wiki as a Research Tool," Voices of the Past, 9, no. 1 (March 2013).
  26. ^ "FamilySearch Research Wiki," Sedgwick County Genealogy News, 13, no. 4 (December 2009).
  27. ^ "FamilySearch Research Wiki Description and User Tips," Echoes (The), 12, no. 6 (November 2013).
  28. ^ "Research Using FamilySearch Wiki," Genealogy Updates for VGS / Village Genealogical Society Newsletter, 2, no. 4 (April 2012).
  29. ^ What Is a FamilySearch Wiki??? (Rexburg, ID: BYU Idaho, Fall 2011) (accessed March 9, 2016). Lesson outline.
  30. ^ Calaveras Genealogical Society’s Spring Social in MyMotherLode.com (accessed March 9, 2016). Lesson topic announcement.
  31. ^ Jamie Lee McManus Mayhew, Understanding the FamilySearch Research Wiki Archived March 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine 10 page .pdf lesson. (California, 2015) (accessed March 9, 2016).
  32. ^ David Flint, pcclub.org Family History Research Wiki Archived March 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine 2015 .pdf lesson handout.
  33. ^ Scandinavian Genealogical Research Resources Archived March 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Santa Clara County (Calif.) Historical and Genealogical Society lesson outline (accessed March 9, 2016).
  34. ^ Donald R. Snow, FamilySearch Catalog, Books, and Wiki Genealogy class notes of May 17, 2015 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  35. ^ FamilySearch: Oswego County Archived March 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in Ainsworth Memorial Library Genealogy (Sandy Creek, NY) (accessed March 9, 2016). Recommendation for local Oswego County research.
  36. ^ American-French Genealogical Society expands research resources with a page on FamilySearch Research Wiki in American-French Genealogical Society (accessed March 9, 2016).
  37. ^ Free Mormon Genealogy in Ancestor Search (accessed March 9, 2016). Short basic description of this wiki, on a list among others.
  38. ^ Nancy Hendrickson, Toolkit: Wikis 101 Archived March 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in FamilyTreeMagazine April 20, 2010 (accessed March 9, 2016). Discusses four online wikis.
  39. ^ Hints & Tips Twelve: How to Get the Best Results from FamilySearch Archived March 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in Society of Genealogists (England) (accessed March 9, 2016). Discussion of Wiki among others.
  40. ^ FamilySearch Partnership Archived March 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in TNGenWeb Project (accessed March 9, 2016). 2010 announcement re Wiki.
  41. ^ FamilySearch.org Archived April 2, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in Mary’s Genealogy Treasures (accessed March 9, 2016). Wiki takes a large section of this aggregator site menu.
  42. ^ #NGS2014GEN English Research and the FamilySearch Wiki in Ancestry Insider blog, May 9, 2014 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  43. ^ Diane Haddad, FamilySearch Research Wiki Archived October 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine in FamilyTreeMagazine Genealogy Insider blog, October 24, 2010 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  44. ^ James L. Tanner, Have I mentioned the FamilySearch Research Wiki Recently? in Genealogy Star blog, September 4, 2014 (accessed March 9, 2016). Blog describes and praises it.
  45. ^ Leland Meitzler, The Updated Tennessee Page on FamilySearch Research Wiki in GenealogyBlog, August 16, 2010 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  46. ^ James L. Tanner, How to Search in the FamilySearch Research Wiki Archived March 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in In-Depth Genealogist blog, August 18, 2012 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  47. ^ Marian Pierre-Louis, Research Help for Unfamiliar Locations - FamilySearch Research Wiki in Legacy Family Tree News blog, January 19, 2012 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  48. ^ Newberry Library, FamilySearch Research Wiki Update Archived March 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in Newberry Library Genealogy Blog, January 24, 2014 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  49. ^ Blair Archival Research, Genealogical Research and the Wiki Archived September 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine in The Passionate Genealogist blog, March 19, 2012 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  50. ^ Randy Seaver, FamilySearch Research Wiki, Videos, Getting Started Just Two Clicks Away Now in Genea-Musings blog, April 19, 2013 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  51. ^ Shanna Jones, Genealogy Corner… FamilySearch Research Wiki in Senior Sampler Genealogy Corner blog, November 3, 2011 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  52. ^ Jacqueline, Family Search Wiki in South African Family History blog (accessed March 9, 2016).
  53. ^ Pat Richley-Erickson, Record Selection Tables at FamilySearch Wiki in Worldwide Genealogy blog, December 3, 2015 (accessed March 9, 2016).
  54. ^ James Tanner, Have I mentioned the FamilySearch Research Wiki Recently?, September 4, 2014 in Genealogy's Star blog (accessed March 7, 2016).
  55. ^ The FamilySearch Research Wiki and Your Genealogy Society Archived March 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in "mysociety" on "The Voice" (Federation of Genealogical Societies) (accessed March 7, 2016).
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