FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject Texas
Overall Objectives
The purpose of the Texas Wiki Project is to help readers find and use Texas resources and records for genealogy and family history. The project will update and improve:
- Texas county pages. Example Crane County
- Texas main page.
- Statewide topic pages. Example Vital Records
- Other Texas-related pages
Guiding Principles
- Task Difficulty Tasks are rated for difficulty. Within each phase task table look for 1, 2, or 3, with 1 being the least difficult and 3 being the most difficult.
- Highlight important and relevant items. Long lists of every website or every publication would bury, rather than highlight, what's important.
- Tell readers what to expect when they follow a link or search a suggested record.
- Balance content with these four factors in mind:
- a. Genealogical Value. Does this help Wiki users further their research?
- b. Clarity. Make sure everyone understands your meaning and the purpose of your words.
- c. Brevity. Be succinct as possible without sacrificing purpose or clarity.
- d. Documentation. Use footnote(s) to identify the source(s) of the content you are creating.
For each section containing information regarding resources and records, the following should be included:
- Links to online resources: indexes and/or images of records or how to use those records.
- Links to catalogs such as the Google books, WorldCat, FamilySearch Catalogamong others.
For more style and guidelines for the Texas Wiki Project, see the style and guidelines for the Ohio Wiki Project.
Texas Wiki Project Phases - Explanation
- Task Difficulty Tasks are rated for difficulty. Within each phase task table look for 1, 2, or 3, with 1 being the least difficult and 3 being the most difficult.
Repositories Tasks
The first set of tasks includes adding content to each Texas county page. Content will be added by completing written tasks which will apply to each county. These tasks will have written instructions giving guidance on how to enter information, format the information, and how to cite the information, when applicable. Some of these tasks entail specifically:
- County headings
- Verify parent county and surrounding counties
- County repositories (libraries, archives, museums) - contact information for repositories that hold original and compiled records for individuals that lived in that county including links to the repositories' websites with additional information
- Locate FamilySearch Centers
- County headings
Other Records Tasks
These tasks are:
- Vital Records
- Probate Record
- Land Records
- Newspapers
- Church records
- County histories
- Tax records
- Cemeteries
Each record type above will include what records are available, time period the record covers and how they can be accessed including links to databases, images and references to books and microfilm and information to repositories.
Schedule
June 2013
Texas Wiki Project Tasks
Before beginning any tasks please review the Ohio Project guidelines.
FIRST TIME WIKI USERS: For instructions on how to edit the wiki use the following:
The following are tasks to be accomplished for the Texas Wiki Project. Each task has step-by-step instructions to accomplish it. SOME TASKS ARE NOT YET COMPLETED. WHEN TASKS ARE LINKED (typed in blue) THEY ARE READY FOR PARTICIPANTS TO WORK ON THEM.
- Task Difficulty Tasks are rated for difficulty. Within each phase task table look for 1, 2, or 3, with 1 being the least difficult and 3 being the most difficult.
Background and Repositories Tasks
| Topics Not all counties have records included in these tasks. Please add the tasks only to the counties listed. Tasks and the list of counties appear when you click on the blue link. |
Complete | Task Difficulty |
| Standardize County subject headings. | 3 | |
| Verify neighboring counties. | 2 | |
| Verify parent counties. | 1 | |
| Locate county societies. Add contact information, link, and significant collections. | 3 | |
| Locate county archives, libraries and museums. Add contact information, link, and significant collections. | 3 | |
| Locate FamilySearch Centers. Add link. | 2 |
Vital Records Tasks
| Topics Not all counties have records included in these tasks. Please add the tasks only to the counties listed. Tasks and the list of counties appear when you click on the blue link. |
Complete | Task Difficulty |
| Add Vital Records Introduction | 28 Mar 2013 | 1 |
| Add Vital Records Subheadings | 2 | |
| Add Ancestry Vital Records Part A. Wait to complete this task until Vital Records Intro and Subheadings tasks are complete for your chosen county. |
2 | |
| Add Ancestry Vital Records Part B. Wait to complete this task until Vital Records Intro and Subheadings tasks are complete for your chosen county. |
2 | |
| Add FamilySearch Vital Records. Wait to complete this task until Vital Records Intro and Subheadings tasks are complete for your chosen county. |
2 | |
| Add Vital Records Other Repositories template | 3 |
Probate and Land Records Tasks
| Topics Not all counties have records included in these tasks. Please add the tasks only to the counties listed. Counties appear when you click on the blue link. |
Complete | Task Difficulty |
| Add Probate Records Introduction | 1 Apr 2013 | 1 |
| Add Ancestry Probate Records | 2 | |
| Add FamilySearch Probate Records. | 2 | |
| Add Probate Records Other Repositories template. | 3 | |
| Add Land and Property Records Introduction | 3 Apr 2013 | 1 |
| Add Land and Property Other Repositories template |
3 | |
| US GenWeb Vital, Land and Probate Links | 3 |
Newspapers and Church Records Tasks
| Topics Not all counties have records included in these tasks. Please add the tasks only to the counties listed. Tasks and the list of counties appear when you click on the blue link. |
Complete | Task Difficulty |
| Add Historical Newspapers Introduction | 1 | |
| Add Historical Newspapers Headings | 2 | |
| US GenWeb Church, Tax and Newspaper Records | 3 | |
| Add newspaper records other repositories template | 16 Mar 2013 |
1 |
| Add Church Records Introduction | 16 Mar 2013 |
1 |
| Add Church Records Subheadings | 2 | |
| Add FamilySearch church records | 2 | |
| Add church records other repositories template | 3 |
County Histories Tasks
| Topics Not all counties have records included in these tasks. Please add the tasks only to the counties listed. Tasks and the list of counties appear when you click on the blue link. |
Complete | Task Difficulty |
| Add County Histories Introduction | 2 Apr 2013 | 1 |
| FamilySearch County Histories | 3 | |
| Ancestry County Histories | 3 | |
| County Histories found in Google Books and Internet Archive | 3 |
Tax and Cemetery Records Tasks
| Topics Not all counties have records included in these tasks. Please add the tasks only to the counties listed. Tasks and the list of counties appear when you click on the blue link. |
Complete | Task Difficulty |
| Add Tax Records Introduction | 8 Apr 2013 | 1 |
| Add FamilySearch tax records. | 2 | |
| Add tax records other repositories template. |
3 | |
| Add Cemetery Records Intro | 3 | |
| Add Cemetery Online Links | 3 |
Example of Texas County Page
Schedule
Guidelines and Style
Style and guidelines for the Ohio Wiki Project that we will also use for the Texas Wiki Project.
Participants
Registration
If you are interested in participating in the Texas Wiki Project, click here to register as an Texas FamilySearch Wiki Project Volunteer. As soon as you are registered, you may begin to add information to any of the tasks typed in blue in the tables above.
Discussion and Forum
Paticipants are encouraged to use the Facebook Texas Genealogy Wiki Project Group as a forum for questions and discussions.
Community Meetings
To be determined
Online meetings with focus on Wiki pages for Texas.
- Share ideas, suggest improvements
- Get news and progress reports.
Attend from home, at a library, or wherever you have an internet connection and a telephone.
Current Meetings
None are scheduled at this time.