Ask the Genealogy Community!

Did you know that there is a whole community at FamilySearch that is dedicated to answering your questions? That’s right! You may only think of FamilySearch as a place to find records and possibly build a tree; however, this resource is one of the many others that they offer. Through the FamilySearch Community, you can ask your specific and in-depth questions to folks who are also researching that topic or region, and they may be able to help you! You can also share your knowledge and experience with others by answering their questions. To learn more, check out the FamilySearch Community FAQ page.

To find these communities, visit the Online Research Help page. There, you will notice that you have several options, including the option to search other people’s questions. You can also join FamilySearch Community Groups or Online Genealogy Research Groups.

In the Community Groups, you can “ask research questions, get document translations, and get insight from other researchers in the group.” You can also “connect with others to collaborate, share resources, and discuss family history topics that interest you.” There are groups focused on Adoption Research, AI (artificial intelligence), Mid-West States Research, and more. You can even join a group to share your feedback about the FamilySearch Catalog.

In the Research Groups, you can “post specific genealogical questions or translation requests regarding a country or region in the world.” This is particularly helpful if you are trying to research in a certain country or region and feeling stuck or confused. In addition to the FamilySearch groups, you can also explore Facebook groups and other related groups and pages. The list is quite expansive.

As you can tell, these groups have some overlap, so you will want to search and explore each group option further to find the ones that are best for you. By the way, both of these are available for free with a free FamilySearch account.

At FamilySearch, you can also schedule Online Genealogy Consultations using your FamilySearch account. They offer these in various languages, and you can select a specific region or topic, too. For more information about these online consultations, check out their FAQ page. If you prefer to research by yourself, there is always the Research Wiki with tons of helpful information that has been compiled by the FamilySearch community.

Of course, this is not the only place to ask your genealogy questions. You can also schedule a Research Consultation with Daniel. He will be happy to share resources, suggestions, and ideas for further research. Appointments are available regularly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Have fun building community and asking questions!