Question

How do we research sources from Ancestry.com if we don't have a paid account with Ancestry?

Comments

Gimme an email and I'll look stuff up for ya

felicity@foxinnovations.net

I'm Betty

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I don't have Ancestry either. I get along fine with Familysearch and Findmypast.

Answer 1

You can go to the Library and use the Library Edition of Ancestry.com

Comments

Or go to a Family History Center and use their Ancestry.com access.

Answer 2

You don't /'can't. That's why it's important that citations referencing sources found on ancestry.com provide sufficient information that any reader can f d the source without having to go to ancestry.com.

Comments

Actual sources found on ancestry.com should be treated like any other real source not available online (i.e. with as much detail necessary to identify what it is). But if it is the only source available it would be nonsense not to use it just because it is behind a pay requirement. If the only source I have is a book I will use it even though somebody else would have to buy the book to look at it (and in my most favorite example fly to Austria, go to Innsbruck, find the museum and convince the curators to get access to the only handwritten document in existence).

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While the FHC and local library are good solutions, it does not help if neither one are readily available, nor if you no longer have transportation to get there (so many scenarios).  I would ask if there are references given then please copy & paste them in your Wiki tree, it would be helpful. When I see Ancestry as the source as a downloaded gedcom I wonder about it.  Gedcoms usually export references so if none are given then I wonder how reliable the info is.

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While I agree that we should utilize the available technology to the utmost, ancestry.com explicitly disallows copying and reposting of their digitized documents to other websites in their user agreement. If ancestry.com is the only place where a digitized image of a document can be found it is absolutely legitimate to use it as a source without posting a copy, when the user agreement prohibits such a posting. I do agree with Jillaine, though, that such a quote cannot just be a link to ancestry but should also give sufficient detail about the source.

I am currently working mostly with digitized church books as sources that are posted on a free website. I still provide the name of the archive, the parish, book number, page and image information besides the link to the image. Who knows if this website will always be free?

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you can type the facts into the bio in your own words  though and add a source link. Facts are not copyrightable.

Answer 3

You would need to find some one with a Ancestry.com membership or join Ancestry. Ask for help in Request for Genealogy Help at right of page in Q&A. Sorry I also do not have a Ancestry account.

Comments

you can also go to USgenweb look for state then county or just search "i.e" county state then genweb...they have bios census vitals military cemeteries etc for that county. I use it alot

Answer 4

You can wait for one of Ancestry's special events, when they provide free access to select record sets.

I suggest using the free resources at Family Search instead.  Though they don't have all the records that Ancestry provides, they provide access to millions of records, including census records, vital records, and many military records.  They also show the source citation for each record you locate, which helps you to properly cite the sources you find.

Answer 5

You can set yourself up with a guest account and subscribe to their newsletters. There are some free records and a lot of free indexes out there. From time to time (this weekend, for example) they open up certain of the collections to anyone and that's when everyone accesses those collections. This weekend is ANZAC Day so the Australian and New Zealand Military records are open to non-subscribers. Also, most libraries have Ancestry Library Edition which you can use for research. You will have to download your findings to a USB and then take it home to work on further.

FamilySearch is an excellent resource with a good wiki and more and more collections getting indexed every day. They also have a lot of unindexed collections (sit in your jammies and look at images) as well as digitised books.

Don't forget Google Books, there is a lot out there as well.

Comments

I have bad luck family search wiki, sorry to say. all I can say is good luck.

Answer 6

Just one quick vote for Ancestry.com.  Yes, it costs a bit, about $400 for a year, but it you compare the value of your time and the cost of going to courthouses, etc. it's pretty cost effective if you can afford it.  That's about $8 a week.  So see if you'd be willing to pay that much for some other hobby and if so either sign up or beg from wikifriends to find what you need there.

Answer 7

I did my tree on My Heritage for one year and then when that expired I loaded up my gencom file to Ancestry and I have done a free weekend they offered. You can join month by month if you just want to fill in the gaps, but if you are serious about doing your tree, a year's membership a better option. My Heritage lock you out of your account when expired but Ancestry doesn't.  For my Australian and British heritage Ancestry is much better than My Heritage.

Comments

Zoe thanks for the tip, I will have to about the british. their has been times, I have been unable to find stuff on Ancestry, but yet I found it on My Heritage.