Why doesn't "Family Search" post sources?

vincentschlegelmilch

For example, Johann Diedrich Meyer, id KZS3-N34, and his wife, Anna Dorothea Brederhorst, id KCG9-WHC, were created by Family Search volunteers in 2012. All their children were also created with lots places and dates, and even their marriage date. But none of these individuals have any sources listed. The Family Search volunteers certainly got that information from their records. How can I trust them if the sources are not attached? Family Search "PooPoos" us for not posting sources to verify our information. I need to see those records for verification. Also, there is ALWAYS more information in the actual record than what is indexed. Can you please explain why these sources are not attached, and how I can see them for myself.

Gordon Collett

I went ahead and checked. Here are three IGI records for Johann:

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:MLY1-PQR
• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:MK4F-B6V
• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:MGKZ-Q4T

These are the records that were transferred into Family Tree. These may or may not have been merged in Family Tree. Again, the IGI did not include sources.

These were all derived from the original submission from the original researcher of Johan which is found here: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97M-29LY?i=860&wc=WWNV-N12%3A352088401%2C353348601&cc=2060211

This standard form, which was sent in in 1967, does not even have a spot for sources.

So the path was: Family Group Record (1967) to IGI (1967) to New Family Search (2009) to Family Tree (2012).

Gordon Collett

Gordon Collett

Any record created in 2012 with FamilySearch as the contributor was part of the original build of Family Tree. These records came from older databases such as the IGI, the Ancestral File, the Pedigree Resource File, and others. Those older databases were never designed to include sources. Those older databases generally did not include who contributed the sources.

Some of these records were first added to a "FamilySearch database" in 1845. These were on paper, of course, and first computer databases were created sometime in the 1960s or 1970.

The "FamilySearch" as contributor is simply a place holder for that spot in the Family Tree database. They could well have used "Unknown" instead, but didn't.

Here is more information on the IGI: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/International_Genealogical_Index_(IGI)_-_FamilySearch_Historical_Records

Here is more information about the Ancestral File: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Ancestral_File

I haven't watched this yet, but it looks like it may have information that will help you understand where these 2012 records came from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4YYIXVwfGE

gasmodels .

One minor comment new FamilySearch data base was assembled around 2006. However, the two posts by Gordon explain the situation very well - users assume that Family Search employees or volunteers are entering data and they are not all information in Family Tree comes from either direct user entry or from old different sets of data.

Gordon Collett

Thanks for the date correction, I was having trouble finding that one exactly.

vincentschlegelmilch

Thanks for the answer. I would recommend that video to everyone. It explains in more detail what you said.