Smart Moves with FamilySearch

It takes a while to develop a really effective strategy when consulting the IGI at computer. The programme is so powerful that there are "hidden possibilities" to speed up your work, and increase the "hits". The following was written by Riley Williams of the Aberdeen Family History Centre. The method involves using the Holding File- it is one of the menu options given by the F2 key at the point when you choose to print what you have found. The purpose of the Holding File is to make a store, for copying later, either to paper or to floppy disk for home use. Here is Riley's Recipe!-
 

1. Perform a Parents Search specifying the names of both parents, father first. Capture all matching records into the Holding File.
2. Perform another Parents Search, this time omitting the mother's surname, and capture all matching records into the Holding File.
3. Perform a Marriage Search for those parents, capturing all matching records into the Holding File.
4. Perform Individual Searches on any names of interest not found so far, capturing any likely entries into the Holding File.
5. Perform Marriage Searches for each child that is of interest, capturing any likely entries into the Holding File.
6. Repeat the above steps for each marriage found in step 5. until either (a) you've only another 10 minutes on the computer, or (b) you run out of marriages to check.

For a large number of entries found, you may fill the Holding File several times, so ensure that you can pay for all the printouts! or, bring sufficient floppy disk capacity. Also, ensure that your time at the FHC PC is not excessive.

Our practice is to normally use the Holding File and print to paper only if less than about 10 sheets of printout are required. A great advantage of copying to disk, is that the results can be "massaged" at home ie reformatted and spurious entries deleted. We at Cameron Research use the IGI utility IGI225, which is a processor designed for the IGI. Among its features, is the ability to Order by father name or by Place name.