Family history research is more fun and rewarding when you share the experience with others.
Working with others brings real benefits to your research. You can share information, photographs, and research clues. You learn from others’ experience and avoid common pitfalls. You enjoy the social side of genealogy and celebrate successes together. And, importantly, you support groups and organisations that help all genealogists succeed.
Here are 12 easy ways to start collaborating in your family history research.
Connect with Family and Friends
Talk to relatives and ask them to share stories or documents. Start with a phone call or visit. Ask about family photographs, letters, or documents they might have. Even relatives who “don’t know much” often have valuable memories or items tucked away.
Share your findings with family. Create simple summaries, photo books, or family tree charts. These don’t need to be perfect or comprehensive. A single-page outline of what you’ve discovered can spark interest and encourage others to contribute.
Join Groups and Societies
Join a family history society and attend their events. Societies offer workshops, lectures, access to resources, and other services. You’ll meet experienced researchers who can offer guidance and support.
Volunteer to help at a society. Contributing your time helps the genealogy community while building your skills. You might help with collections, organise events, or work library rosters.
Join a special interest group. Look for groups focused on your specific research interests. These might centre on convicts, military history, or particular countries or regions. Specialised groups offer targeted expertise you won’t find elsewhere.
Share Your Research Online
Start a family history blog or website to share your stories. You don’t need to be a professional writer. Simple posts about your discoveries, research challenges, or family stories help others with similar research. Readers may reach out with information or helpful suggestions.
Join a Facebook group or other online genealogy community. Facebook hosts genealogy groups organised by location, surname, or research interest. These communities are generous with advice and often help solve research puzzles through crowdsourced knowledge.
Contribute to WikiTree. This collaborative family tree platform connects researchers working on the same family lines. You can add to existing profiles or create new ones. The community supports high quality research and social interaction.
Join FamilySearch and add to their free collaborative tree. FamilySearch’s Family Tree allows multiple users to contribute to the same profiles. This creates opportunities to connect with distant cousins and share research responsibilities.
Contribute to Projects
Take part in an indexing project. Indexing makes historical records searchable for all researchers. You can transcribe records from the comfort of your home. Each document you index helps thousands of family historians find their ancestors.
Example: Volunteers indexing at FamilySearch has helped millions of people with their research.
Help with transcription projects at your state, national library or archive. Many cultural institutions run volunteer transcription programs. These projects preserve historical documents while making them accessible to researchers. Your contribution helps the entire genealogy community.
Example: You can find transcription projects from many countries on From the Page.
Join in challenges or competitions run by genealogy groups. WikiTree runs regular challenges that encourage specific types of research. These might focus on improving profiles from particular time periods or locations. Challenges make routine tasks more engaging while improving the collaborative tree.
Tips for Getting Started
Pick one or two ways that appeal to you. Don’t feel you have to participate in everything at once. Start small and find what works best for your research style and schedule.
Keep it simple. A single conversation with a relative, a short blog post, or one indexing project can make a real difference. Small contributions often lead to unexpected discoveries and connections.
For more tips on getting started with family history, check out my post What You Need to Know When Starting Family History.
Who could you collaborate with this week?
Choose one approach from this list and take that first step. The genealogy community is waiting to welcome you and share the adventure of discovering your family’s story.
About the Author
Danielle Lautrec is a genealogy educator, researcher, and author of The Good Genealogist. With qualifications in history, family history, and historical archaeology, she teaches for the Society of Australian Genealogists.
