Topic-Basic FamilySearch Skills

Standardization of dates and places, adding information, editing information, and changing relationships.

Standardized dates:

31 December 2000 -- date, month spelled out and year in four digit. FamilySearch will offer their standardized suggestions. If you don't know the exact date, one may use: calculated, about, before or after. Or use a range: from 1870 to 1880. Be sure to click on the standardized option offered by FamilySearch.

Standardized places:

Burley, Cassia, Idaho, United States -- City, County, State, Country (all spelled out). For places outside of the United States, start with the smallest geographical area, and go to the country level. Use the location at the time of the event. Click on the standardized place offered by FamilySearch. Check the drop down options to see what the geographic location was at the time of the event.

If the exact place isn't showing as a standardized place, it can be submitted to FamilySearch for inclusion. Use this knowledge article for instructions.

Reason for Standardization:

Standardized dates and places improve the accuracy of the search, record hints, and duplicate features of Family Tree. In some cases, the lack of standardization will affect the ability to complete the temple ordinances.

Name Tips:

Use the person's birth name or complete legal name.

Use normal capitalization.

If the person legally changed their name, show that name. (This does not apply to married names- always use the maiden name). In this case, list the birth name in the Other Information- Alternate Names.

If the person used another name for any reason, or had nicknames, add those into the Other Information- Alternate Names.

Titles would include: Dr., Count, Rev.

Suffix would be Jr., Sr. III, etc.

Do not use: not named, unnamed, son, twin, mister, or wife as names.

Do not use "or" to list two different names.

Do not use the following characters in the name field. \ @ # $ % ^ & * = | ~ ? < > { } [ ] ( ) : ; 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Changing Relationships:

Couple Relationships apply to the connection of the spouses. Five options are available: Marriage, Divorce, Annulment, Common Law and Lived Together. More than one can be used. These are accessible by clicking on the pencil icon by the marriage date (or by the "no marriage events"). This opens the Couple Relationship pop up. Click on "Add Event" to add a new event. Click on pencil icon by event shown to edit that event. One can also remove a spouse within the Couple Relationship pop up. Click on Remove or Replace under the spouse. Facts, Sources, and other notes can also be added to the relationship in this pop up.

Parent- Child Relationships apply to the connection of the child to the parent. Five options are available: Biological, Adopted, Guardianship, Foster and Step. To edit the parent relationship, click on the pencil icon by the child's name listed under the parents. This will open the Parent-Child Relationship pop up box. The father or the mother can be removed or replaced, or the child can be removed from both. Relationship types can be added to either the father or mother. Sources and notes can also be added to parent-child relationship.

Note: Persons may be shown in multiple couple relationships and in multiple parent-children relationships. One may select a preferred relationship, this will allow all charts and views to show the preferred relationships. To do this- use the "Set Preferred" option at the bottom of the Family Member Section.

Changing relationships will delete the persons incorrectly connected to your family in Family Tree. My personal tip-- Be cautious when using this option as to not create persons without any family relationships. Try to, if possible, make sure the person you are deleting from your family is connected to their correct family members.

Options to learn more about adding and editing information.

Adding and Correcting Information on FamilySearch for LDS by Kathryn Grant

Editing Facts and Relationships in FamilySearch - BYU Family History Tutorial

Changing Information in FamilySearch - The Family History Guide

Note: These videos/websites use the old person page and so the screenshots will not match those shown on the new person page. All editing options on the new person page can be done by clicking the pencil icon by the section one is wishing to change.

Ten Top Tips and Websites

1- Temple and Family History Leaders can use the Leadership and Clerk Resources to send out emails to members in their wards (or Stakes). Sign into your account on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Go to the nine dots by your name and select "Leadership and Clerk Resources". Then click on "send a message" and select to whom you wish the message to be sent. Type in the message and send it out to everyone selected.

2- There is a new training guide for Burley Family History Center. The old one is outdated due to the changes in the home page and person page recently implemented on FamilySearch. The new training guide is accessible on a link from the homepage of the Burley Family History Happenings blog.

3- Working with Hidden Gems on FamilySearch YouTube video by James Tanner

4- Boost Your Brain Power 2- Avoiding the Same Name Trap by Kathryn Grant

5- 25 Best Websites for Beginners by Family Tree Magazine

6- Hidden Meanings of Gravestone Symbols

7- Canadian Records and Sources by Genealogy.com

8- How a Research Log will Transform your Research by Family History Daily

9- 5 Things Every Genealogist Should be Doing by Family History Fanatics

10- Reverse Hints on FamilySearch