Finland Getting Started

Finland

Research Tips and Strategies

Getting Started

Finland Wiki Topics
Beginning Research
Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder Finding Town of Origin Online Learning
Record Types
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Finland Background
Biography Church History Finnish Word List Gazetteers Geography Handwriting Historical Geography History Languages	Letter Writing Guide Maps Naming Customs Social Life & Customs Swedish Word List For Further Reading
Cultural Groups
Cultural Groups Sami People
Local Research Resources
Archives & Libraries Societies FamilySearch Centers

How to Research

1. Identify what you know: Work from the known to the unknown. Don't jump straight back to a distant ancestor. Begin with the present and confirm/document the information and relationships as you work your way back.
2. Document/source your tree: As you gather information, identify where and who each piece of information came from. Evaluate how reliable the sources are, and ensure you are interpreting them correctly. Don't simply accept ancestral information on your tree. Instead, look for records or other reliable sources to support each date, place, and relationship.
3. Decide what you want to learn: Have a specific research goal or objective. This is defined by pursuing a specific piece of information about a specific ancestor. An example of a bad, or too-generic research goal is: "I want to know more about my great-grandfather." An example of a good research goal is: "I want to find the marriage date of my great-grandparents."
4. Select records to search: Each country's record-keeping practices are different. See your country's Record Finder table to determine what kind of record could provide the desired ancestral information. Search the desired records.
5. Analyze/use the information: When you find new sources, carefully evaluate them to ensure they are about the correct ancestors, and that the information in the evidence is being accurately interpreted. Cite or document your sources in your family tree establish the accuracy of your findings.

Beginning Research in Finland

• See the map and sub-jurisdictions below for more localized information

*Prior to that date records were cataloged based on the counties as they were in 1945, including the county of Vipurri, which was ceded to Russia in 1940.

Finnish	Swedish	English	Time Period
Ahvenanmaa	Åland	Åland	1918 - 2009
Häme	Tavastland	Häme	1831 - 1997
Keski-Suomi	Mellersta-Finland	Central Finland	1960 - 1997
Kuopio	Kuopio	Kuopio	1776 - 1997
Kymi	Kymmene	Kymi	1947 - 1997
Lappi	Lappland	Lappi	1938 - 2009
Mikkeli	St. Michel	Mikkeli	1831 - 1997
Oulu	Uleåborg	Oulu	1642 - 2009
Pohjois-Karjala	Norra-Karelen	North Karelia	1960 - 1997
Turku-Pori	Åbo och Björneborg	Turku and Pori	1634 - 1997
Uusimaa	Nyland	Uusimaa	1831 - 1997
Vaasa	Vasa	Vaasa	1776 - 1997
Viipuri	Viborg	Viipuri	1634 - 1947