Tour of The Family History Guide
Click a link below to learn more about a topic in The Family History Guide.
Picture NoteThe pictures shown in the Tour are for reference only; they are not clickable, but they show where to find features in The Family History Guide window.
Basics
- About The Family History Guide
* The Family History Guide (www.thefhguide.com) is your best-in-class website for family history learning, research, and activities. It's free, and it's sponsored by The Family History Guide Association, a non-profit charitable organization.
* The Mission Statement is shown in the middle of the Home Page.
* See FAQs about The Family History Guide.
* For a more detailed look at The Family History Guide, watch the Introduction video.
More- There is no advertising on the site, no subscriptions, and no memberships.
- There is also no app to download: the site recognizes what type of device you are using and automatically formats the menus and screens to fit.
- Exploring the Home Page
* Language: Click the Select Language bar (upper left) to set a different language for the website text.
* Search: Click the magnifying glass to do a Google search within The Family History Guide website.
* Today's Tip: Click it to see the Tip of the Day. Each tip has a link near the bottom that shows all previous tips.
* Overview Video: Click to watch a brief video that introduces you to The Family History Guide.
* Navigation: On a desktop or laptop, hover over the top menu to see drop-down choices. On a tablet or phone, tap the three-line menu (upper-right) to display the menu choices. To return to the Home page, click the logo (upper left).
- Getting Started
* To get started learning more about family history, click the Get Started button on the Home Page, or select it from the Intro menu.
* The Get Started approach is driven by questions and answers: find a question on the page that appeals to you, and explore the answers in The Family History Guide.
* There is something here for all learners, from those brand new to family history, to researchers who have been doing genealogy for years (see links for Research Skills, and Research Around the World).
- Intro Menu Highlights
See a picture of the full Intro menu:
Here are a few of the features in the Intro menu (the first menu, top left):
* Topics: You can see all the main topics for The Family History Guide at a glance, in the Topics page. Its entries are alphabetized and linked for quick access.
* Features Help: To learn about other features in The Family History Guide, in the Intro menu select Features Help.
* Learning System: The Family History Guide uses a powerful tool called the Learning System, based on Projects, Goals, Choices, and Steps. It's both well-ordered and flexible, enabling you to learn with your preferred style.
More- Project links are found in the drop-down menus for FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage and Findmypast.
- Projects can be compared to large boxes of information; inside those are Goals, or medium-sized boxes; and inside those are the Choices (small boxes) and steps.
Projects
- Partner Projects
* The main menu features Partner Projects for learning FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Findmypast (partners of The Family History Guide). Hover over the titles to see a drop-down list of Projects for each Partner.
* You can use any Partner Projects you like and skip any you are not interested in. When information is common to all Partners, it's contained in Goals shared across all of them.
- Example: FamilySearch Project 1
Note : The example below shows how to use Project 1: Family Tree in FamilySearch, but the concepts here apply to all the Projects, in all the Partners.
---
* FamilySearch Project 1: In the main menu (top on desktops or laptops, left side on tablets or phones), hover over FamilySearch and select 1: Family Tree.
* Goal List: Near the top of the Project page, click any of the numbered Goal links, from 1 to 14. A separate Goal page is displayed for each link (you can scroll down to see content). Click the link to return to Goal 1: Navigate.
* Open/Close Choices: Click the Close Choices button to see the Choice titles without the accompanying text; then click Open Choices to restore the text.
* Show Me Video: In the Goal list at the top, click the Show Me, Goal 1 link to watch a video that summarizes Goal 1.
* Documents and Videos: Click a document or video icon (below a numbered step) to open the article or video in a separate tab.
* Summary/Exercises: At the start of a Choice, click the Summary link to get a preview of what's covered. At the end of a Choice, click the Exercises link to try out what you've learned in the Choice.
More- You can learn how to create and maintain family tree information on FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Findmypast. Projects 1 and 2 have screen shots and instructions to help you each step of the way.
- For convenience, you can open The Family History Guide in one half your screen and the Partner site in the other half, to avoid frequent tab switching.
- There are also versions of Projects for apps, at the bottom of the FamilySearch, Ancestry, and MyHeritage menus.
- Discovery/Research
* Research Techniques: Open Project 4 for any of the Partners and click through one or more of the Goals in the top list. The first three are for basic skills, and Goals 6 and 7 are for more advanced skills.
* Knowledgebase: In any Partner menu, select Knowledgebase. You can use any of the links at the top of the Knowledgebase to jump to a topic; then click a topic link to learn more. The topics are focused on general and United States research.
* Goldie May: In the FamilySearch menu, select Goldie May. It's a Chrome extension you can install and use as a personal assistant for census research.
More- The articles and videos linked from the Goals in Project 4 provide you with best practices for research. You can be confident about building a solid foundation in your research, learning from industry experts on essential topics.
- Topics for experienced researchers include cluster research, dealing with brick wall problems, mind maps, and a variety of creative approaches to solving problems.
- Other Projects
* Memories/Photos: Choose a Partner menu and select the Memories or Photos Project. These Projects have Goals for gathering and preserving items, uploading them to Partner sites, interviewing others about family history, etc.
* Indexing: In the FamilySearch menu, choose Project 5: Indexing for detailed instructions on learning to index records. Handwriting tips and other helps are included.
* DNA: FamilySearch Project 8 has general information for DNA testing and genealogy. Project 8 in Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Findmypast have details on how to use test results from those companies in your genealogy research.
Countries
- Finding a Country Page
See a picture of the full Countries menu:
* Countries Menu Options: Hover over the Countries menu and click a region (North America, British Isles, etc.). In the expanded list you can select a country of interest. Or, you directly select United States, Canada, or England.
* All Countries: In the Countries menu, select All Countries. The alphabetical list on the page includes links for major and miscellaneous country pages. Select a country page from the list and explore a few of its Goals.
* More Countries: In the All Countries page, countries that do not have enough information to fill their own country pages are listed in the More Countries section, just below the Countries main list. Click a link in More Countries to go to the Region page and Choice for that country.
* Countries Knowledgebase: At the bottom of the Countries menu, select Countries KB. It's similar to the regular Knowledgebase but oriented towards research in countries. Use the links across the top to quickly locate a country of interest and begin learning helpful research tips for countries.
* Ethnic Research: Near the bottom of the Countries menu, select Ethnic and select a research page of interest: African American, Asian, Basque, Hispanic, Jewish, or Native American.
More- Some of the entries in the All Countries list have only one Goal (Belarus, Ecuador, etc.). These are included in "collector" pages in the Countries menu, such as East Europe Misc. and So. America Misc.
- Some of the "More Countries" entries have only one Choice. These are linked from the More Countries section to regional pages, with their individual Choices.
- United States, Provinces, Counties
* United States: The United States country page has quite a few Goals; they are divided into categories A-F. Many of the topics here also apply to general research for any country.
* U.S. States: In the United States country page, just below the Statue of Liberty picture is a list of U.S. states. Click an entry to go to that state page. In each state page there is a link to its counties, below the list of states.
* Canada Provinces: In the Countries menu, select Canada. Just below the main picture is a list of Canadian provinces; click an entry to go to that province page.
* England Counties: In the Countries menu, select England. Just below the main picture is a list of England counties; click an entry to go to that county page.
* Australia States: In the Countries menu, select Asia/Pacific/Africa and then choose Australia. Just below the main picture is a list of Australia states provinces; click an entry to go to that state page.
- QUIKLinks
* What they are: QUIKLinks take you directly to record search screens in FamilySearch (FS), Ancestry (AC), MyHeritage (MH), and Findmypast (FMP). In a Goal list, any Goal that has a lightning bolt icon also has QUIKLinks farther down the page.
* Example: Open the Ireland country page (British Isles) and click Goal 3: Civil Registration. Scroll to the bottom of the page and open any of the QUIKLinks there. QUIKLinks are available only for record collections with over 50,000 records.
More- QUIKLinks are provided only for record collections with at least 50,000 records. Smaller collections are available on the Partner websites.
- When the same or a very similar collection is hosted on multiple Partner sites, it has just one QUIKLink in The Family History Guide.
Training
- Trainers Menu
* Prepare a Class: This page explains how to effectively prepare a family history class, online or in person, on just about any family topic, using The Family History Guide website.
* Worksheet: You can complete a Worksheet (Microsoft Word) to plan the content and key points for your class presentation. A finished Worksheet is included for reference.
* Trainers Corner: This is your resource for training tips and tools to enhance your family history presentations and classes.
More- Teaching from the website means you don't have to prepare and maintain slide decks. The content on the site is kept up-to-date for you.
- After a class or presentation, learners can review the material you covered online, and they can continue with the next steps in The Family History Guide.
- If you print or distribute handouts, be aware that you may need permission from authors whose content is linked from The Family History Guide.
Activities and Media
- Activities
See a picture of the full Activities menu:
* About: There are over 200 links to family history activities in The Family History Guide. These are divided into pages for Family, Individuals, Youth, and the Kids Corner, all available in the Activities menu. Activities marked by an asterisk require little or no preparation.
* Categories: Across the top of each Activities page is a list of category links, similar to the Goal list for Projects.
* Activities Index: At the bottom of the Activities menu, click Index. You'll find an alphabetized list of activities in The Family History Guide. Try a few links of interest to see what activities are available.
More- Activities can be a great way to introduce young families or youth to family history.
- Many of the activities are integrated with Projects in The Family History Guide, so participants can follow up and learn more about the areas of family history that interest them.
- Youth
* Youth Pages: In the Youth menu, select any of these options: Photos and Stories, Activities (same as Youth Activities above), Family Tree, Places and Cultures, Indexing, Apps and Sites, or For Latter-day Saints.
- Social Media
More
- Faiths
* Church of Jesus Christ: In the Faiths menu, select Church of Jesus Christ, for Latter-day Saint topics. There is also a Come, Follow Me Companion, with family history activities correlated to the Church's weekly Come, Follow Me study program.
* Catholic: In the Faiths menu, select Catholic to learn about record sources. The second Goal provides links for Catholic records in many different countries.
* Protestant: In the Faiths menu, select Protestant to learn about record sources. The second Goal provides links for Protestant records in many different countries.
* Jewish: In the Faiths menu, select Jewish to learn about record sources. You can also find these Jewish resources in the Ethnic section.
- Online Tracker
* About: The Online Tracker is a secure database in The Family History Guide where you can track your learning progress and take notes. It is the only part of website that requires an account with a username and password.
* Help: To learn about creating and using your Online Tracker account, in the Tracker menu select Online Tracker Help. You'll learn about recording notes, setting proficiency levels, using resource stars, and more.
* Stars: When you are logged in to the Online Tracker, you can click a star that precedes an article or video link. The star is filled in, to show that you have read the article or watched the video. To see a list of all stars you have filled, click the Stars button in the Online Tracker header.
- Vault
* About: In the Vault menu, click Main Page. The Vault contains links to secondary articles and videos. You can use the links in the header area to quickly access topics in the Vault.
More- Near the top of the page there is a legend for article and video source abbreviations (AF=Ancestral Findings, LT=Legacy Family Tree, etc.).
- Topics are numbered to help you navigate on the page. You can use the Close button at the top to see just the topic titles.
- Many Choices also have Vault buttons that link to corresponding sections in the Vault.
Copyright 2024 The Family History Guide Association, a 501(c)(3) public charity organization. All rights reserved.
* Blog: In the Media menu, select Blog. Three articles are published each Monday morning, and you can subscribe to the blog to keep up with what's happening with The Family History Guide.
* YouTube: In the Media menu, select YouTube. Our YouTube Channel feaures videos in these playlists: Learn About The Family History Guide, Show Me, Activities, Inspirational, and Explorations.
* Facebook: In the Media menu, select Facebook. This page has a handy tip posted Monday through Friday, as well as posts from others in the family history community.
* Twitter: In the Media menu, select Twitter. This page has a handy tip posted Monday through Friday.
* Instagram: In the Media menu, select Instagram. This page has frequent family history posts.
* Pinterest: In the Media menu, select Pinterest. This page has frequent family history posts.