Voyage Notes, Tools & Examples adapted from Trello
Notes, Tools & Examples
Active but non-responsive Voyager
Sample wording: "Time for our check-in. Your last message to me was on [date], so I'm wondering if you're still interested in continuing by finishing up with [Voyage profile]? Or if you'd prefer to switch guides?"
If they do request a change they will be placed at the head of the line as they are already in progress. Let Robin or Debi know so one of them can update the Trello card
Ancestry Citer App
Ancestry Citer App helps create Ancestry citations and builds the Templates for you when you input the URLs.
Note: It can not create a Record Template and an Image Template at the same time. I usually create a citation using the Record template. Then create a template for the Image, that can be copy and pasted into the citation to complete it.
Bio Check App
App to review biographies for style errors and to find profiles which might need to be sourced
Biographies sections & subsections
Some members prefer an outline style to a narrative style and that is OK. All varieties should include inline citations.
Sub-sections OK, generally recommended if the bio is very long.
Citation for Search Results behind Paywalls
If a search result link doesn't go to a specific record when not logged in, cite as follows (example website, applies to any):
scotlandspeople.gov.uk; scotlandspeople search terms (database names, dates, whatever was used), x number of results found; potential record (identifying data such as Ref: 123/1234); searched, performed, and record abstracted by [[WikiID-##|member name]] on search date [Abstract of record: (include any names, dates, places, etc.)]
This question came from a Voyager who had found a search result at Scotland's People but did not have access to the detailed information. Since ScotlandsPeople is a pay site, the search term link they included did not work for me. This is the citation I (Debi) recommended using in those cases
Citation using Wayback Machine
John Patrick McGee, Obit citation
John Patrick McGee, obituary, 6 April 2017; born digital, Carter Funeral Home, Garland, Sampson County, North Carolina, USA (http://www.carterfh.com/notices/John-McGee : accessed 20 May 2017). [saved to the WaybackMachine, 20 May 2017]
DBE 962 checks for broken links
From Data Doctors just after this new suggestion was posted:
User beware. I have several 962 that are the URL copied from an Ancestry citation, which I will fix. This is an excellent argument for always including the full citation, not just the URL. fact sourced to a defunct website that I don't want removed as I want to know where the assertion originally came as a starting point to finding a better source. Suggesting Wayback Machine could also be included in the help to find the content.
Discursive or Explanatory footnotes
From Sources Style Guide, references section
A reference may include annotations, i.e. discussion or analysis of the cited source. Alternatively, a reference note may simply be an explanatory note and not a source citation at all.
Also known as a discursive note
DNA Triangulation as a Source
Here's the help page on triangulation
Ask Debi or Robin if help is needed evaluating the Confirmation statement
FamilySearch Template Guidelines
FAQs on uncertain data items, including parentage, and use of research notes
FindAGrave
Finding Elusive Records in FamilySearch
70% of the free historic records on FamilySearch.org can't be found with a basic search. This video presentation explains how to navigate unindexed image sets and use advanced search features to find the records you're looking for.
All of it is good. Total 56 minutes. There's a section about looking through unindexed images starting about 9:00 minutes.
Finding NARA digitized images
Anytime there is a US National Archives (NARA) micropublication number in the data on a subscription-only site (ex M397 Civil War Compiled Service records at Fold3), check this link and search for the number. It will then show who has the data. Sometimes it is available at a non-subscription site and sometimes (as in this case) there is a link to the images on the NARA site. If there is a link for NARA, click that. Once you're on the results page, put the surname you are looking for in the search box beside the micropublication number to narrow the results
Footnotes go after punctuation
Footnote indicators, according to most style guides, usually follow the punctuation. This post on Stack Exchange has a great comparison of a bunch of the different official styles and includes the few times when the footnote indicator should follow. Please review it and let me know if you have any questions.
For Voyagers improving profiles co-managed by others
Profiles they solely manage for close ancestors (3 generations parents, grandparents) reflects the Voyagers' own personal preferences on profiles for which they are the only manager.
Voyagers understand that:
- improvements may be made by other members
- they will need to work together with other interested family members on stylistic decisions
Also they need to understand the guidelines regarding Disagreements about privacy:
- If the person was born in the past 150 years, relatives within four or five degrees of separation can control access and editing to themselves. See [[Help:Privacy Privacy].
- Family members cannot restrict access to their shared parents, grandparents, etc. That is, siblings cannot have separate versions of their parents' profiles, cousins cannot have separate profiles of their grandparents, etc.
Grammarly extension for Chrome
I (Debi) use this when writing narrative biographies. The basic model is free to use. There is a pay version but I don't think it would be helpful when working on profiles. The citations from FamilySearch usually cause some suggestions but I ignore those.
How to include disputed origins and conflated profile info
Sample explanation: It does not go above the biography heading. An example of the short paragraphs that go above the Biography heading can be found on the profile of Charles Darwin.
For information about disputed origins or why two people are not the same person, it is better to use the Uncertain Family or Conflated templates to add a research box to the top of the profile and a third level section such as Disputed Origins or Easily Conflated under the Research Notes section.
G2G discussion about this topic: Do we allow a text section before the biography section on profiles?
How to see a merged away profile
- Look at the Change Log of the current profile and find the statement has a comment (Merged OldWiki ID into RemainingWiki ID)
- Click the OldWiki ID link
- That will open the change log for the old Wiki ID
- The top line will be an equivalent Merged statement
- Click the "edited the data" link
- The left column will be what the profile contained before it was merged.
How to Source from Ancestry with an expired subscription
Image alt-text
Things to consider when creating alt-text for images.
The parameter name in the WikiTree Image template is "label" but is other things in other templates.
Link templates
Location help pages
Location fields, buried in the Location Field Style Guide section
Use the full place name for counties, states, provinces, départements, etc. Examples: Rhode Island, not RI; New Brunswick, not NB; Hampshire, not Hants; Seine-et-Marne, not S-M. Abbreviation of country names is acceptable as long as the abbreviation is standard and is recognizable.
South Africa Help, and Place Names
Merged Profile(s) Cleanup - Suggestion 811
- Data Doctors example page
- Data Doctors YouTube tutorial
- WikiTree+ orphans needing merge cleanup: Click Find Suggestions button
- Weekly Data Doctor Report (replace YYYY-MM-DD with a Sunday's date): Space:Data_Doctors_Report_YYYY-MM-DD
- Suggestions by Locations: drill down to a familiar location, then search for 811
Name Guidelines
While all profiles fall under the main name fields guidelines, some Projects have developed additional guidelines specific to their location or topic:
Project Profile Standards
Some Projects have developed standards for what they expect to see in biographies. Here are links to the ones that I (Debi) am aware of:
- Puritan Great Migration Editing Guidance: This should not affect Voyage profiles. If you become aware that a Voyager plans to work on profiles that are in this Project, be sure to share this with them
- English Profile Standards
- Scottish Profile Standards
Reasons to include profile links
We use profile links the first time a name is mentioned for several reasons:
Navigation
Make it easier for the reader to get to other profiles. Depending on the length of the biography, a considerable amount of scrolling could be required to get back to the links in the heading. This reason is included as an additional tip in the More Tips portion of the Additional Subsections part of the Biography FAQ
Help the reader navigate WikiTree by linking to profiles of other individuals you reference in the narrative, such as parents, siblings, spouses and children
Connections
Help reconnect profiles in the event they are ever inappropriately merged or disconnected
SEO
A way to increase valid internal links for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) purposes
Rules and Guidelines
Work done which follows the guidelines will take preference over work which does not in the event of a conflict. Style FAQ: What happens if you knowingly break style rules
Guidelines are used when resolving those conflicts: finding the Question in a Conflict
Anything which begins with wikitree.com/wiki/Help: is considered "official" unless there is a heading at the top saying it is a work in progress: Style FAQ: Where do you find the style rules
How to get an official style rule changed: Style FAQ: How are new style rules developed
Skills Standards
Profile Improvement Project Biography Standards
Source citation examples & templates
- Sources
- Evidence Explained Citation Style
- Saturday Sourcing Sprint Citation Examples
- ORA Template Examples
- Citation Machine: CHICAGO Format & CHICAGO Citations Generator
Australia Sources & Citation Examples
England Orphan Trail: Citation templates
Other info
US Military Medals & Decorations sticker template
US Military Records
Use the FamilySearch US Veterans Administration Master Index (VAMI) database to search for the soldier.
When you find the card, note that the stated unit may not be exact. These are VA cards, not the actual branch of service records.
The card will have a column of letters, some of which may have a number next to them. The number beside the letter codes will be the file number of that particular thing:
- C or xC indicates that there may be a VA Claim; the x means deceased
- T indicates they took out insurance
- A indicates the insurance was converted to bonds
- CT indicates the bonds were cashed in (circa 1936)
These files are not the Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) that were affected by the 1970s era fire. I've attached the list of all the different kinds of documents that can be ordered and which form to use to request the file.
Be aware that, because of Covid, the backlog to pull files is HUGE. It is recommended that, if you actually want to get the files, you hire a private puller. I have asked for a recommendation and will post it here when received.
Sample profile that uses the various codes from a VAMI card - First use as Clay Rex Cottrell
US National Archives NARA Citation samples
Voyager Recognition Sticker
{{Recognition Sticker |image=Profile_Improvements_Voyage.png|imagetext=Profile Improvement Voyager |text={{#profile:RealName}} has completed the [[Project:Profile_Improvement|Profile Improvement Project]]'s [[Space:Profile_Improvements_Voyage|Voyage]]}}
Why the style rules matter (including grammar)
Why does grammar, style, and formatting matter for "cousin bait"? - G2G
WikiTree AGC App for GEDCOM Clean-up
The Wikitree AGC app can be used to quickly clean up gedcom imports that were processed using the gedcompare function. It won't work on some of the older gedcoms. It's a Chrome plug in.