FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject Utah Hows

This is the overview for how to do the various assignments. To allow us to proceed without impacting other Wiki users, these instructions will be done under WikiProject Utah. We will also look through the help: areas to see what is already there. Hopefully, this will keep progress moving forward and will impact other projects from this time.AdkinsWH 18:44, 6 July 2011 (UTC) per decision with Marilyn Markham and Patsy Hendrickson.

Formatting

Bulleted or Numbered Lists

1. Click the Edit tab under the FamilySearch logo. (Upper left.)
   
2. In the Edit window, put the cursor where you want to start the bulleted or numbered list.
   
3. On the menu bar (top of the Edit window), click the icon for either the bulleted or numbered list. The first bullet or number will appear.
   
4. Type what you want after the first bullet or number.
   
5. Press the Enter key, and the next line will also be bulleted or numbered.
6. To get rid of a bullet or number you don't need, simply backspace over it.

Bold, italics, or underline

When you are adding new text:

1. Click the Edit tab under the FamilySearch logo. (Upper left.)
   
2. Click the appropriate icon (B,I or U) on the menu bar.
   
3. Type what you want.
   
4. Click the icon again to turn bold, italics or underline off.

For existing text:

1. In Edit window, highlight the text.
   
2. Click the appropriate icon (B,I or U).

Copying and Pasting

To copy words on the same page:

1. Click theEdit tab under the FamilySearch logo. (Upper left.)
   
2. Highlight what you want to copy.
3. Then do one of the following:

-Click the Ctrl and c keys at the same time,

-Click the right button on your mouse, and on the menu that appears, click Copy.

1. Put the cursor where you want to paste the copied words.
2. Then do one of the following:

-Click the Ctrl and v keys at the same time,

-Click the right button on your mouse, and on the menu that appears, click Paste.

Copying tables

Mention copyright.

Adding Links

Click to the section you need:

• Describe the Link
• Guidelines for Including Links (or Not)
  
• How to create a link

Describe the Link

Guiding Principle: Help FS Wiki users know what to expect when they follow a link

Please describe the link by telling users:

1. Which site or wiki page they are linking to
2. The type of record
3. Dates included (for most records) or date of transcription (for a cemetery).
4. The contents: index, images, or both.
5. Costs: Simply use dollar signs "$" or "Free."
6. Coverage: Who does it include or exclude? For example, a record may only include males between the ages of 16 and 45 or only landowners.
7. Completeness: Does it appear to be the results of a project, such as transcribing the entire [cemetery or other record], or does it seem family submitted?

Don't mislead the Wiki user by giving false expectations. See Linking to Context for some additional points.

Examples of informative links:

• World War II (1941–1945) army enlistments at the county GenWeb site has about 400 entries, mostly from Beaver and Salt Lake Counties. Key at end of list explains codes and columns. Gives year and state of birth. Free.
• 1904 deaths This county GenWeb site contains about 45 entries which are user submitted. (May not be complete). Click on an entry to see details transcribed from state death certificates. Free.

The above links have:

1. The link (url)—to the exact location on the website for this topic. If you cannot link to the exact location on a site, describe how the user can navigate to it.
2. The name of the link (the words people click)—which tells the user what they are linking to.
3. The ID of the site, such as, "county GenWeb site" or "Marriott Library Digital Collection"
4. A link to the main page of that county-level site. (For example GenWebs or other sites with a state-level page that links to counties.)
5. Description to help the user decide to click or not, such as years included (in some cases, the years are in the name of the link); approx # entries; what information is given in each entry; how to find explanations of what people will see, such as column/code interpretations; other information the user needs.
6. Cost: Free or $.

Guidelines for Including Links (or Not)

Value to the Wiki user These questions may help you determine to include a link or not:

• If this were where your ancestors lived, would you want the link?
  
  
• Can you link to the exact location on the site for these records?
  • A statewide site, for example, may not be appropriate for a link from the county, unless you can link to that county. Otherwise, statewide sites should not be itemized on the county level. It is appropriate to link to the Wiki page that lists statewide sites, however.
  • If you cannot link to the exact location on a site, describe how the user can navigate to it.
  • Be sure to test where the link goes. The address line for some sites does not change as you navigate through them.
    
    
• Will it help people access or use records? Does it:
  • Index a set of records?
  • Include record images?
  • Link to other useful sites?
  • Give strategies, methods, or tips for doing research?
    
    
• Is it an unusual, yet valuable resource? Might it spur ideas in users for finding such resources for other places?
  
  
• How hard was it to find the site? Is it easily found (your decision) or obscure (include it)?
  
  
• Value added – Does it add value or simply duplicate information from other sites?
  • Example: Beaver County Death Records for 1904 duplicates information given in the Statewide death certificates online. The value added is the focus on Beaver County deaths for that year.
    
    
• How many other links are already under this topic heading? (Avoid cluttering the Wiki.)
  • Try to put those of most value high on the list.
  • Relative importance (coverage, size, completeness).
    • Coverage.
      • Who is included and who is excluded? On this site, did they take a subsection of the record or include everyone in the record? In military records, for example, did they only take men from a certain town, those above age 45, or only those who were Methodists? (Patsy -- do we need the % of the target population still. (Is that an aspect of the records themselves or of this site?)
      • Does it focus on a group? Church, minority, ethinic, occupational groups, for example.
        
        
    • Size. Will a small number of entries give enough value to merit the effort of creating the link? In a place with low population? In a place with high population?
      • What percentage of the target population does it include for this place/topic?
      • What if some cemeteries only have 3 "residents." Possible solution: link to the section on that site that links to several cemeteries, rather than linking from the Wiki to individual cemeteries.
        
        
    • Completeness.
      • Is this a full transcription (preferred) or piece-meal submissions by families (your decision)

How to create a link

There are two things you need to create a link:

The starting place, or where you want to put the link.

The destination, or where you want to send the user.

Steps for making a link:

(Click to see a video demonstration for creating links. Use the step-by-step table below for more explanation.)

Steps	How to do this step
1. Copy the destination link	a. Navigate to the place you want the link to end up, either a Wiki page or a website. b. Copy. For a Wiki page, copy the full name of that page. For a website, copy the web address.
2. Create the link	a. Navigate to where you want to put the link. b. Click Edit and highlight the words users will see for the link. (Note: you must sign in before you can edit.) c. Click the link icon. (Looks like a world with two links in front. See red circle below.) d. Paste the destination link you copied earlier into the Link box, and click OK.
3. Review the link	a. Scroll to the bottom of the Edit window and click Show Preview Check that the link looks correct: An external link (to another website) has blue letters and an arrow. (Example: the link above this table to the video demo.) An internal link (to another Wiki page) does not have an arrow.
4. Summarize and save	a. Type a Summary of what you did in the Summary box under the Edit window, such as Added the link to the archive. b. Click Save page

If interested, see Using WikiText to create internal or external links.

Links To FamilySearch Catalog (FS Catalog) entries

Link to the FS Catalog are done differently from other external links, since FamilySearch needs the ability to make small changes to it's site without affecting any of the associated Wiki links.

Here's what you do:

Opening two Wiki pages

There are advantages to having two Wiki pages open at the same time. This is especially helpful when you need to copy something from a task page to a county page. Or when you need to compare two pages side by side, as with the "County Headings" task.

To open another Wiki page: place your cursor on "Page" or "Edit" under Views (Navigation Bar on the right) and right click. Then select Open in new window.

You can now choose to put the two windows side-by-side.

• Use the "Maximize/Restore Down" button in the upper-right corner, then adjust the sizes of the two windows to better compare.

Tip: If you choose to have both pages maximized, you can quickly switch back and forth by using Alt+Tab keys.

Images

How to find an image

Make sure it is not under copyright

How to upload it

Categorize the image

Include it on a page.

Citing Your Sources

People want to know where information came from. When you add information from another person, from a website, or from a published source, please create a reference.

Here's how:

1. In Edit mode, click the Insert/Edit icon.
2. Type the reference
3. Click OK.

FamilySearch Catalog (FS Catalog); formerly called, Family History Library Catalog (FHLC)