Search function failure - cannot find simple census records from 1940 US census

JeffLuke

I'm trying to find a 1940 census record for Edwin Keener.

I can easily find the record in Ancestry (pasted at bottom of message)

I cannot find it in FamilySearch.

Here are the search parameters. This should be very easy to find...

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.birthLikeDate.from=1920&q.birthLikeDate.to=1926&q.birthLikePlace=Colorado&q.givenName=edwin&q.surname=Keener&f.collectionId=2000219

JeffLuke

Thanks for finding that!

How were you able to find it? I did not click on 'exact' so it seems like my search parameters should have found that record.

I probably spent 30 minutes trying different search combinations and could not find this record, even though I knew it existed.

Like many others have noted, not only the user interface has changed, but the search effectiveness is worse after the recent changes.

I hope familysearch is doing something to restore search effectiveness even if they won't admit that the new user interface is difficult to use and desperately needs improvement.

JeffLuke

So are the search parameters always exact now? Even if you don't click 'exact'?

Keenes and Keener should both show up in a search for 'Keener'.

I have been stumped many times trying to find records that I know exist. If I didn't know they existed then I wouldn't even think to try so many search combinations to find them.

JeffLuke

Whatever logic is being used to find similar versions of names, it is very particular. It is as if the 'exact' criteria is being applied, except that it will show some results for Keeney.

In looking for Edwin Keenes, here are searches that don't find the record:

first name: Edward

last name: Keenes

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.birthLikeDate.from=1922&q.birthLikeDate.to=1926&q.birthLikePlace=Baldwin%2C%20Gunnison%2C%20Colorado%2C%20United%20States&q.givenName=Edward&q.surname=Keenes&treeref=GZ3Q-LGL&f.collectionId=2000219

first name: E

last name: Keenes

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.birthLikeDate.from=1922&q.birthLikeDate.to=1926&q.birthLikePlace=Baldwin%2C%20Gunnison%2C%20Colorado%2C%20United%20States&q.givenName=E&q.surname=Keenes&treeref=GZ3Q-LGL&f.collectionId=2000219

first name: Ed

last name: Keenes

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.birthLikeDate.from=1922&q.birthLikeDate.to=1926&q.birthLikePlace=Baldwin%2C%20Gunnison%2C%20Colorado%2C%20United%20States&q.givenName=Ed&q.surname=Keenes&treeref=GZ3Q-LGL&f.collectionId=2000219

first name: <blank>

last names: Keener

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.birthLikeDate.from=1922&q.birthLikeDate.to=1926&q.birthLikePlace=Baldwin%2C%20Gunnison%2C%20Colorado%2C%20United%20States&q.surname=Keener&treeref=GZ3Q-LGL&f.collectionId=2000219

First name: Edwin

last name: Keener

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.birthLikeDate.from=1922&q.birthLikeDate.to=1926&q.birthLikePlace=Baldwin%2C%20Gunnison%2C%20Colorado%2C%20United%20States&q.givenName=Edwin&q.surname=Keener&treeref=GZ3Q-LGL&f.collectionId=2000219

first name: Edwin

second name: Keeney

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.birthLikeDate.from=1922&q.birthLikeDate.to=1926&q.birthLikePlace=Baldwin%2C%20Gunnison%2C%20Colorado%2C%20United%20States&q.givenName=Edwin&q.surname=Keeney&treeref=GZ3Q-LGL&f.collectionId=2000219