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Ancestral File
If your goal is to find earlier ancestors on a particular line, linked together as one continuous family, the Ancestral File or Pedigree Resource File are places to search. Simply put, Ancestral File, updated in the past few years by the Pedigree Resource File, is a constantly-growing, lineage-linked, surname-indexed database of pedigrees and family group records submitted since 1980 by researchers all over the world. Submitters' names and addresses are provided for the purpose of sharing source materials. Pedigree Resource File includes notes, sources, and documentation of all types. However, the online version only provides the index. It is necessary to visit a local Family History Center to view the contents of the actual file, if that Family History Center has purchased the file. You may also purchase copies of the Pedigree Resource File CDs at the www.FamilySearch.org site. While we should definitely use the Ancestral File and the Pedigree Resource File to build the foundation of our personal family history, we should use them only after making sure the information is accurate. Much information was covered in Chapter 11 on how to make corrections to the Ancestral File if you once determine that the information provided is incorrect. In 2003 a determination was made not to make corrections to the Ancestral File, but to submit a GEDCOM file to the Pedigree Resource File (PRF) from your own database with your own notes that would prove the sources of your information. When you make your additions or corrections, your name is added as a submitter and other people can locate you and know of your research interests. One reason these databases are so popular is that they are basically free, or at cost. |
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