Getting the most from familysearch.org

familysearch.org is one of the basic sites that all family historians should be familiar with. The information there is currently organized into six main databases, which we'll discuss here. Although it is possible to just search all the databases at once, it's frequently much more useful to search only the databases that are likely to have the information you need, since the search engine for each database works slightly differently. Below is a description of all the databases, but the two most helpful ones for Danish researchers are the Vital Records Index (VRI) and the International Genealogical Index (IGI).

The databases at familysearch.org:

Ancestral File contains much of the genealogical information that LDS members have sent in over the years to the church. LDS members are encouraged to research their family history, and keep track of it. 20 or 30 years ago, the church had a program called the Four Generation Program, where members were encouraged to at least figure out four generations of their genealogy and submit it to the church. Much of the information in Ancestral File comes from there. Since some people are more meticulous than others, some of that information is good, and some is worthless. It should ALWAYS be verified against the original source. Since the information was submitted many years ago, you may or may not be able actually contact the people who are listed as submitters. However, it's worth a try. I'd say I get about a 30% response rate, but when I do get a response, frequently it's been very helpful. Often the person who responds is a child of the person who originally submitted the stuff, since the submitter is now deceased or incapacitated. But I did get one of my treasures, a copy of a tintype of my Danish great-great-great grandparents, taken in 1865, from a cousin of one of the people that I contacted through Ancestral File. To find the submitters' names, after you have a name up on the screen which you are interested in, scroll down a bit till you see "details" on the right side. Click that and the submitters' names will appear.The people who run familysearch tried to "Match and Merge" all these records, in a well-meaning attempt to get all the information on a single person submitted by many into one file. But if you've done that on your own computer file, you know what havoc that can wreak, if you don't know what you're doing. So, once again, be sure to check anything you use there with original records. Ancestral File is no longer updated.

The census records are transcriptions done by LDS volunteers, and since this records are double-checked, they are usually pretty accurate transcriptions-- but of course the census taker could have made a mistake too. One of my ancestors' families shows two girls named Francis and Rhoda, different ages, when actually, there was one girl named Emily Selina, and a younger girl named Francis Rhoda. I think he just didn't get the names right in this family of 8 kids. This database will not be of much help for Danish research, unless you're trying to track someone from Denmark in England, Canada, or the US, and only for 1880 or 1881.

Next comes the International Genealogical Index, IGI. This is the area that I find most useful. It is made up of names which have been submitted by LDS church members for temple ordinance work over the years, or names form the church's controlled extraction program. Because the information required for temple submissions over the years has changed, the data shown on the entry changes over time too. For example, deaths were not recorded in the IGI for many years, but I have heard that there is a shift in the thinking on this, and more and more deaths are showing up there. You can tell if the record you're looking at is from a member submission if you look at the very bottom of the entry on the screen. Sometimes it lists family group sheet which you can order to look at on microfilm. That might, or might not be helpful. You can get the name and address of the person who submitted the name, but it might be very old. Currently all entries after 1991 from patrons will not have source information available. I imagine that's when the submissions by computer started. The other source of information which you'll find there is the true gold mine-- the controlled extractions. For quite a few years, 30 maybe, the LDS church has had volunteers working on extracting records from original parish and government documents. If you see that the information you're looking at has been extracted (look at the bottom of the entry) you've hit a record that is likely to be extremely accurate. Usually at least two volunteers have looked at the record and agreed on what it says. You can click on the batch number and search for other family members in that record-- very valuable if you are searching for one John Brown in all Britain. To see which parishes and years are available in the extractions in both the IGI and VRI, go to Danish IGI Batch Numbers (Disable pop-up blockers). Another good thing about the IGI is that if you search it alone, rather than all the records at once, you can narrow your search down to a single county. Also if you have names of parents, don't forget to do a parent search, where you just put the names of the parents into the father and mother blank. Try it without the mother's maiden name and you might find more.

Vital Records Index is also records from the extraction program. This database is not nearly as large, but can be searched by county and even town for the records that are there, so if you're searching for Jens Jensen and you have a good idea of where he was from, it can be worth trying this one. You can also find out the batch numbers for the VRI from Danish IGI Batch Numbers.

And then, I think I've covered everything here except for Pedigree Resource File. This database is similar to Ancestral File, but that's being currently updated. Data is not matched and merged so no errors from that problem. The database consists of submissions of genealogy files made over the internet at www.familysearch.org by anyone who's interested. It is much more likely to be up to date. The problem is that you can tell if someone you are interested in is there, but you can't get as much information from the internet about that person. If you go to the nearest Family History Center, you can also see the notes and sources-- which were lamentably left off of the IGI and Ancestral File. Well, you can see the notes and sources if the person who submitted the file actually had any. There are about 130 CDs in Pedigree Resource File and you should probably check with the FHC to see if they have the one you need before you go. The address of the submitter is MUCH more likely to be current, since the last 30 CDs have come out it in about the last three years. In fact, some of the submitters even have their email address listed on the file, but you'll have to go to the FHC to see it.
(explanation by Paula Goodfellow, Denmark list member)