1: Get Help (FS)   2: Genealogical Societies   3: Collaborate   4: Help Another Person   5: Publish a Family History   6: JAWS                   Translation Tips    Music      Print Friendly and PDF











Project 6: Help


Goal 1: Get Help



Goal 1: Get help with your own family history work. Vault


Although The Family History Guide has a wealth of resources and tasks to work on, there are times when you need some personal assistance with challenges in your family history. This goal points you in the right direction.




Choices


AFind and access FamilySearch help resources for your family history questions.


  1. Use the Help Center option in the upper-right corner of the FamilySearch screen.
  2. This article discusses the basic resources that are available in the Help Center.

    FS—How do I get help using FamilySearch.org? - 2020

  3. To contact FamilySearch, click the Contact Us link and then select your geographical area. You can then use the email link to send an email, or the phone support link if available, or use the FamilySearch Community feature.
  4. Access the FamilySearch community site. Click Support Questions to ask a question in the community or see existing questions; or click Groups to join a group and collaborate with others.
  5. Watch this video to learn more about working with the FamilySearch Community.

    BYU—Connect and Collaborate in the FamilySearch Community—37:08 - 2022   


  6. You can also schedule a virtual research consultation with a staff member of the Family History Library.

BFind and access Ancestry help resources for your family history questions.


  1. Get help from Ancestry. Visit the Ancestry Support page for details.
  2. Visit the Message Boards at Ancestry.
  3. Get free Latter-day Saint access to Ancestry.

CFind and access Findmypast help resources for your family history questions.


  1. Visit the Getting Started page at Findmypast.com.
  2. Explore the Frequently Asked Questions page.
  3. Get free Latter-day Saint access to Findmypast.

DFind and access MyHeritage help resources for your family history questions.


  1. Visit the Help Center page at MyHeritage.com.
  2. Get free Latter-day Saint access to MyHeritage.

EGet help for your own research tasks.


Summary
  1. Find FamilySearch resources to help with your research.

    FS—Where can I get help with my genealogy? - 2020
    FS—Getting Started: Helpful Resources and Tools (37:54) - 2021   



  2. Know how to ask the right questions to get the help you need.

    AJC—How to Get Your Genealogy Questions Answered - 2016

  3. Find volunteer researchers who can help you on the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness site.
  4. Get additional help from other researchers online, as explained in this video.

    FS—Research in Real Time (10:35) - 2010

  5. Get help searching records from lookup volunteers noted on the Genlookups site.
  6. Find help translating genealogical documents with the Genealogy Translation Facebook group.
  7. AI Chat: Learn about effective questions to ask artificial intelligence (AI) chat agents.

    FTA—How to Get Useful Answers to Your Genealogy Questions - 2023
Exercises



F(Optional) Explore the resources at a FamilySearch Center.


  1. Visit a local FamilySearch Center and talk with a volunteer. These services are free to all. To find a FamilySearch Center anywhere in the world, click here.
  2. Use the free Premium website offerings at a FamilySearch center. These include full access to Ancestry, Findmypast.com, MyHeritage.com and others. See the full list of premium sites available at each FamilySearch Center.