52 FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2019Because FamilySearch.org has so many records,
you can easily miss important results if you
only search on the site’s main form.10
SCOUR PREMADE
GENEALOGIES.
In addit ion to records, Fa milySea rch.
org also houses published ancestries,
created and submitted by users.
Genealogies include the Ances-
tral File (40 million profi les submitted by users before
2003) and the International Genealogical Index (curated
by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints). Simply visit the Genealogies landing page <www.
familysearch.org/family-trees> then enter your search
terms to get started. As the site warns, the accuracy of
these trees varies, so be sure to back up any data you fi nd
here with sources from your own research.11
BROADEN
YOUR LOCATION
SEARCH.
Records weren’t neces-
sarily kept in the same
town in which they
were created. Study history, then iden-
tify where the records you’re looking for
are currently held, as this might aff ect
where FamilySearch.org categorizes
them. For example, Austrian archives
might hold records from some parts of
modern Romania, as Austria-Hungary
controlled western Romania until World
War I. Check the FamilySearch Wiki to
determine what locations might have
the records you’re seeking. Then turn to
the Research By Location section on the
site’s Search page <www.familysearch.org/
search> to identify the relevant collec-
tions from that region.9
LOOK FOR MULTIPLE
KINDS OF RECORDS.
Censuses and vital records make up
the bedrock of genealogy research,
but they shouldn’t be the only
resources you look for. FamilySe-
arch.org’s database holds all kinds of genealogy
records, from tax records to probates to passenger
lists. From the main search form, you can fi lter by
record type. Also remember to browse for records
collections by location, so you can see what Fami-
lySearch.org has in your area.