The Best-Kept Secret In Genealogy: Your Guide to the FamilySearch Research Wiki
- Tanya Jensen
- Dec 11, 2024
- 3 min read
Ever spent hours searching for your ancestors' records online, jumping from website to website, wondering if you're even looking in the right place? There's a powerful research tool you might be overlooking – the FamilySearch Research Wiki. This incredible resource is like having a personal genealogy mentor guiding you to the exact records you need, no matter where your ancestors lived.
What Is the FamilySearch Research Wiki?
Think of the Wiki as your global genealogy roadmap. It's a free, online library containing thousands of articles about genealogical research for every country in the world. But it's not just another encyclopedia – it's an interactive guide that tells you:
What records exist for each location
Where to find these records (both online and offline)
How to access and use them effectively
What historical context you need to understand them
Which research strategies work best for each region
Why Start with the Wiki for Genealogy Research?
Starting your research journey with the Wiki can save you countless hours of frustration. Instead of randomly searching databases, you'll learn:
Which records were kept during your ancestor's time period
How to navigate different countries' record-keeping systems
Where to find records that aren't available online
What local resources and archives you can contact
How to overcome common research obstacles
How to Use the Wiki: A Step-by-Step Guide
Visit the FamilySearch Research Wiki at www.familysearch.org/wiki
Enter your ancestor's location in the search box
Choose the most relevant page from the search results
Explore the amazing amount of information you will find on this page!
Don’t forget to look over at the right hand side where there are even more topics related to your locality.
See It in Action
Let me show you how powerful this can be. Recently, I was searching for my fourth great-grandfather, Adam Wunderlich, born in Bavaria in 1790. Instead of blindly searching German databases, I started with the Wiki. One simple search for "Bavaria" led me to a comprehensive guide that pointed me to:
Emigration databases I didn't know existed
Historical maps for context
Step-by-step research strategies
Direct links to record collections
Following just one of these links led to a database containing multiple potential ancestors – and that was just the beginning of what I found!
Beyond Germany: A World of Records
The Wiki is equally valuable whether your ancestors came from:
Ireland's smallest parish
A remote village in China
A tiny island in the Pacific
Any corner of Latin America
The heart of Africa
Each location page is packed with specific information about local records, customs, and research techniques.
Research Smarter, Not Harder
The Wiki doesn't just tell you where to find records – it helps you understand them. You'll learn:
Historical events that affected record-keeping
Name variations and spelling changes
Local customs that influenced records
Language helps and translation tips
Alternative sources when common records don't exist
Your Next Research Step
Ready to revolutionize your family history research? Here's your challenge: Take the name of a country where your ancestors lived and spend just 15 minutes exploring its Wiki page. I guarantee you'll discover something new about researching in that location.
What discoveries will you make when you tap into this powerful research tool? Visit the FamilySearch Research Wiki today and share your findings in the comments below!
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