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Eleven POWERFUL “SEARCH” FEATURES In The FamilySearch.org Search Engine!  Take time to become well acquainted with these.

8/16/2013

 
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Introduction
Changes and modifications in the ‘search’ features in the FamilySearch search engine provide researchers with powerful functionality for running their “searches.” Not only from a professional genealogist’s view, but from any researcher’s perspective, these upgrades now make the FamilySearch search engine one of the most powerful search engines on the world wide web. And users/researchers may now customize their very own “search” parameters in order to . . .

maximize their chances of finding correct data. No other search engine allows such search features!  Be Sure to Read and Use These in Your Searches. They will save you time and help you get better results!

Here are eleven important “search engine” features available to users in the current FamilySearch which help you find data in the FamilySearch system. Each feature and filter can be important in making your search experience effective and more successful. Few users, researchers, or professional genealogists have known about these critical and helpful search features—that they are even offered or that “searches” can even be run in such ways.

The eleven key points and features (and there are certainly more than these) are worthy of disseminating and sharing as they will help more researchers have more successful experiences. These features apply not just with conducting England searches, but for just about any and all countries with data in the FamilySearch system.

Eleven “Search ” Features & Filters
The current FamilySearch search engine now allows users to--

1. Search given-names only, for a specific or very localized area and narrowed         time-frame (with no surname). Great for:
1) performing a marriage search when the surname of a spouse isn’t known at all;
2) when you don’t find an ancestor under the standard spelling of a surname; this feature also     is crucial for
3) effective searches i.e. in all patronymic countries, such as in Scandinavia, Iceland, Wales,         and in Jewish research, etc. Example: Try searching for “Elidad Davis” born in London 1611.     Then try searching just under the given-name only—“Elidad”. Note: Of 2 London entries,         one is “Elidad Dauis”[sic]. (It should have been indexed under the surname “Davis”, but         wasn’t.)

2. Similar to the above: Search on just the surname only (if known)! Great for
        performing:
1) a marriage search when the given-name of a spouse isn’t known at all or is not known             precisely, i.e. Mary or Mary Ann or Marian[n]e.
2) when you’re researching a person with two or more given names (and it’s not known for         certain which name they used in life).

3. Search a birth year and a small place-name ONLY—such as a town, a                         chapelry or small parish--i.e. I typed the year “1833” and “Brierley Hill, Staffordshire,     England”—without typing in ANY names—given or surname—and found an ancestor’s             brother. This is because the system now provides users the ability to bring up ALL entries         pertaining to a specific place-name/parish, and for a short range of years!

4. After running a search, and after the data "results" appear, users now have          the option to utilize -
1) the "filters" which appear in the left-hand margin, such as "Collections", "Birthplace",                 "Marriage Place", etc. However, not all of these filters are yet completely installed, but will         be shortly; these filters allow you to drill down to a specific place-name or year[s] and a             particular surname--which may result in some very clean "hits"; and/or
2) users can re-run their search by clicking "Refine your Search". This can be done by picking     a specific year and/or a more specific place/church name, etc. or,
3) at the Main Menu (of FamilySearch's main page), users can scroll down and click “Browse     Records Collections” (scroll towards the bottom of the page), and pick a specific database in     which you want to run your search. Your search will be relevant strictly according to the             record data pertaining to that particular record type; i.e. allows you to search census only, or     church only data.

5. Users may now run searches using a wildcard(*). For example, on just the                     surname of “Sm*th”, type in “St Gregory by St Paul, London” for the year 1590. Unlike the     former familysearch.org search engine, as long as the search parameters are set at a specific     level. Note: Scroll several times and Smyth[e] with Smith and even Smeth all appear under     London.

6. Finding difficult, variant-spelled surnames, i.e. Thibou--T[h][i/e]b[a/eau/ou     etc., is much less a problem to locate in the system: Users can now perform                     searches with up to at least three wildcard characters (asterisks—“*”), for any names. Type     thus: Th*b*, or, T*b*u*. See searching only on the last portion or surname prefixes (see no.     9 below).
    This is a great way to locate as many possible spellings for difficult, variantly-spelled                     surnames, such as in cases of Polynesian, old French, Native American, Huguenot, and             Slavic (especially) etc., surnames. Note: The search “results” or “hits” may now be filtered         by specific locality, time period, gender, residence, record collection etc.

7. Search for “Smyth” ONLY returns “Smyth[e]” results! No more Smyth                     mingled with Smith! Type in “Smythe” and then click the little “Exact” match box, which     brings up only those “hits” which match your (search) criteria, i.e. Smythe only—no Smith     with Smeth or Smeath entries!

8. To conduct a Parent search (to find all the siblings of an ancestor in the                 FamilySearch system)--can be performed by clicking on "Parent"; then type in just the         given and surname of the father; type no given names of any children at all.
    In pre-1700 England searches, use the father's given and surname only; often mothers'             given-names are not recorded in baptism registers prior to 1650 and thus are not retrieved     when typed in.
    Also, by utilizing the "Parent" search, users can now better determine all children born to a     single parent (i.e. illegitimate births/baptisms). Click “Parent” and type in her her given and     maiden name.

9. Use the wild card feature: When you don’t know or are unsure of the spelling of the         prefix or a large portion of (the beginning of) a surname, no problem—users may use the         wildcard (*) in front of the surname, then merely type the last portion of the surname as it     is known, i.e. as in the above surname of Thibou, thus: *bou. Or, visa versa, at the end of         the name—Thi*!! Frankly, what family history search engine allows users to search on a i.e.     surname without the first two or three letters (prefix) on it?

10. "Exact Match" only. This little box sits on the right-side of each given name, surname,     place-name, parent and spouse name[s] boxes. Check-off this box if  you are completely         certain of the spelling. Even if you believe you are certain of the correct spelling, use only         with keen discretion and caution! because it will dramatically change the "hits" returned! It     used prudently, it tends to return "hits" which are more accurate, clean and relevant to each     search. And instead of returning i.e. 5,678 "hits," most of which are irrelevant, 'fluff' or             otherwise unwanted "hits"!

11. Learn immediately if a Parish or Town vital records have been indexed.
    Did you ever wish to know if any parish and its church registers are indexed and searchable,     and for a certain range of years?  Similar to number 3 (above). You can search to determine     if a parish registers of  i.e. marraige or baptisms or burial data content is (indexed) and in         FamilySearch's databases system: Merely type in the accurate spelling of the parish or                 township place in either the "Birth," or "Marriage," or "Death" text box--without typing             anything else! (See the F.S. Catalog for correct place-name spellings.) This search                         retrieves every single entry from an indexed/extracted church or township record!

Batch Number Search: Back—by popular demand!
    While redundant of no. 3 above, the ‘old’ batch number “search” has been restored as a             “search” feature of FamilySearch. Now, you have the option to run searches on old batch         numbers; you can include searches to be run on parents’ names, names of spouse[s], or         users can view all names pertaining to a single Batch number (see no. 3 above)—by leaving     the names fields blank.

These “search” features in the FamilySearch search engine now prove to be a tremendous             boon to users and researchers worldwide. Moreover, these new “search” standards establish     FamilySearch as a trendsetter with benchmark “search” capabilities other websites (with         databases) may wish to follow—including archives, libraries, repositories, societies,                     universities and even business corporations!



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