Project: Sourcerers/Saturday Sourcing Sprints

Categories: WikiTree Help | Challenges | Sourcerers Project | Saturday Sourcing Sprint Winners


Welcome to the Saturday Sourcing Sprints Challenge




Contents

What are Saturday Sourcing Sprints?

Saturday Sourcing Sprints are weekly, one-day challenges for adding sources to unsourced profiles already present on WikiTree. They're fun and casual mini-versions of our annual Source-a-Thon, complete with stickers or badges for registered winners.

Since our goal is to reduce the number of unsourced profiles on WikiTree it's easiest to work from the unsourced categories. You can also work from your own watchlist by clicking the unsourced button at the top of the page.


How to Join

To participate, register in the most current sourcing_sprints registration post. You only need to answer once, though weekly participation in the post is welcome.

  • Click answer at the bottom of the first message to open an edit box
  • Tell us that you plan to add some sources
  • Click the Add Answer button

That's all it takes! A member of the Sprints team will notice your answer and respond but you don't have to wait on them. Go ahead and use the Challenge Tracker to count your profiles sourced (see the rules below and the weekly thread for instructions).

*Note: registration for monthly Sourcerer's challenges does not automatically enroll you in the Saturday Sourcing Sprints. You are still welcome to participate, but to compete for the winner's sticker/badge, you must enroll at least once in the post mentioned above.


Are you interested in the Saturday Sourcing Sprints Project?



Communications

We also use the weekly G2G sign-up thread to brag, complain, commiserate, and generally share, so check back in if you have time. You can post replies to your own answer and the answers of others. Teams aren't required for the Sprints but if you'd like to form one, you are welcome to do so; just mention it in on the G2G thread. Check the Challenge Teams FAQ to learn more.

We use the Discord channel #saturday-sourcing-sprint to chat real time. It will be as quiet or busy as we make it. A facilitator is almost always in the room, so post something in the channel. The facilitator will respond to help get the conversation started.


Rules

  • Profiles with a Hold Request Research Note box should not be improved as part of the Saturday Sprints. These profiles are reserved for use by the named Project to help members learn the ins and outs of using WikiTree. You can find more information on the Hold Requests Help page. To learn more about the various Trails, the Voyage, and the PATH, see the Projects' list of opportunities.
  • All profiles improved must come from the Unsourced categories or already be present on WikiTree and unsourced. Creating new profiles without sources and then add sources to them does not count for credit.
  • If the only source is a link to a profile on another website, a search results page from another genealogy website, the words "Ancestry tree," "Geni.com," "Pedigree Resource Files" from FamilySearch, or the like, adding a better source will be a valid update for the Sourcing Sprints. If you add better sources than these to the profiles, use the Challenge Tracker to include it in your tally.
  • If you find a source listed on a profile page at another genealogy website or at tertiary website sources such as Wikipedia, ThePeerage.com, Rootsweb, etc., track down the real source, add it, and include it in your tally. If you don't have time or know how, see the next point.
  • If you attempt to add sources to a profile and just cannot find any, please add a note under a == Research Notes == section stating where you tried to find records. Adding four tildes to the end of your note will add your name and date to the end (you won't see it until you save). That way the next researcher knows where to start. Do not remove the Unsourced Template and do not count in your tally. Examples:
    • "Looked for John in the US Census records for 1900-1940 and couldn't find him on FamilySearch or Ancestry"
    • "Searched Google for an obituary and didn't find one."
    • "FamilySearch's Pedigree Resource File has a record for this person but no sources are included" and give the link
    • "An Ancestry profile has sources attached but I couldn't find citations for the individual sources" and give the profile link
    • "Has a Wikipedia entry that (does/does not) include sources" and give the link
  • The tally is of profiles improved, not sources added. That said, if you can add a number of sources to a profile, all the better. Remember, your sources need to be as full and specific as possible, so others find them useful. That means, if the source is online, you should link to it. If it is a page from a book, the page number should be included so others can easily see where you found the reference.
  • If you find a match and can merge a profile into an already sourced profile, that counts too. You still found a source, plus you eliminated a duplicate.
  • If you add a source, remove {{Unsourced}} from the edit box.
  • If you add a source which names other family members, check to see if their profiles exist.
    • If not, add [[Category:Needs Profiles Created]] to the first line of the edit box
    • If so and there are no sources, add the source. Use the tracker to count that profile too
  • Only use the Tracker to count your contributions while it is Saturday wherever you are. Since we have participants around the world, the Tracker is available for more than 24 hours, but only contributions tracked within a 24-hour limit will be counted in determining the weekend's winner.
  • Each weekly Sprint winner will receive a recognition sticker:
    Saturday Sourcing Sprint Logo
    ... sourced the most profiles in the ??dte?? Saturday Sourcing Sprint Challenge
  • First-time winners will also receive a profile badge:

Tips for Successful Sourcing

If you are new to Sprints, WikiTree, or genealogy in general and want to improve your sourcing skills, WikiTree has multiple resources to help. Please reach out on Discord or in G2G with questions.


Calendars and Tracking

Saturday Sourcing Sprint Calendar pages contain links to specific events results. To review them, click the Tracker link associated with a specific weekend on any calendar page.




Rev 10 Mar 2024



This page was last modified 23:29, 10 March 2024. This page has been accessed 13,031 times.