SHOESTRING GENEALOGY: Pedigree Resource File

First, there was the International Genealogical Index (IGI). Next, there was the Ancestral File (AF) which indeed was much easier to use.

Currently, there is the Pedigree Resource File

The Pedigree Resource File (PRF) was unveiled in November 1999. At that time there were 5 CDs available with approximately 1.1 million names on each CD. Since then the CDs have been issued in groups of five, with each set containing a master index for all five discs. When PRF was launched, Director David Rencher said, "This is a great way for individuals worldwide to preserve and share their personal genealogies. A current problem with that can be printing personal family histories is the expense and limited access. The challenge with posting them as individual Web pages or through some sort of private, dynamic online database that can be shared by relatives is the time and cost of developing and maintaining them long-term. Web pages are here today and gone tomorrow. The Pedigree Resource File is a viable, long-term source for preserving, accessing, and share one's personal genealogical database."

The Pedigree Resource File is an ever-expanding database of lineage-linked names submitted by family historians from everywhere via the Internet. The director of the Family History Library Services said that over 35 percent of the submissions are from non-English speaking countries.

Advantages of Pedigree Resource File over Ancestral File

All data submitted to PRF is kept intact — not mixed in with other submissions. Now you can tell who submitted what.
If the submitter included documentation and cited sources with the GEDCOM, then that information is there on the CD, also.

The indices to the Pedigree Resource File are available online at www.FamilySearch.org.

Disadvantages

The complete data is not available online.
The only way to submit a file to PRF is to upload a GEDCOM file via the "Preserve Your Genealogy" page at www.FamilySearch.org.

Actually, the second is not completely a disadvantage. Creating a GEDCOM file isn't so difficult, is it? Still, if the GEDCOM file is larger than diskette capacity and you haven't a CD-ROM burner . . . well, you see a small dilemma. This way you create the GEDCOM, whatever the size, edit it as you wish and then upload it. Also, in areas with an Internet connection, but no local Family History Center (FHC), uploading is simple. I suspect the reason 35% of the inputs are from non-English speaking countries can be attributed largely to this "disadvantage." The Family Search Internet Genealogy Service receives nearly 2 million names a month.

All right, then, how do you overcome the first disadvantage? You could purchase the CD-ROMs, of course. There are 65 CD-ROMs or 12 sets and some indices. The cost for each set of CD-ROMs (5) is $22.50. The first 5 sets comprise Volume 1 and is discounted down to $59.00. Volume 2 is priced the same, and includes discs 26 - 50. This isn't a bad idea, unless you need many of the CD-ROMs. You can access the PRF discs freely at any FHC.

How to Search the Pedigree Resource File

To find a record quickly, type in the submission number only. A list of the records that were included in the submission will be displayed. What? You don't know the submission number? You can find it by searching for the record using the name, event, or date. The submission number is listed at the bottom of the person's individual record. Click directly on it, then click the Submit button.
You can search for any combination of first and last names for the individual, parents and spouse.
You may search for just the last name. <Gasp> Up to 200 results will display on a page. Click [Next] to look at further results.
For common surnames, fill in additional fields to narrow your search results. You will get fewer results if you enter an individual's first name and last name.
Last names are standardized so that spelling variants are retrieved as well. Try THAT on Ancestry.com! (just kidding)

That's it! I think the PRF is a fine improvement with potential to help us find the information we need quickly—and possibly get us out of the home for a wee bit to revisit our local FHCs! To find a Family History Center near you, visit www.FamilySearch.org and enter your location.

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