Part 1

**Draft**

What kind of questions can I ask here?
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Genealogy and Family History is a question and answer site for expert genealogists and people interested in [genealogy and family history][1]. With your help, we're building a comprehensive library of answers to questions about genealogy and family history.

If your question is about:

 - Starting your research or improving your methodology 
 - Finding a source or understanding how to use it
 - Documenting or presenting what you’ve learned 
 - Breaking down brick-walls in your family tree
 - Using technology to support your research

and it is not about:

 - Locating identifiable living individuals
 - Which genealogy software or website is “the best” 
 - Developing genealogy software 
 - Celebrity or [biblical genealogy][2]
 - [General history][3]

then you’re in the right place. We welcome questions at all levels, and you can expect a range of answers from very basic to highly technical, depending on how you phrase your question.  The community tends to respond better to questions that show you have already done some research (e.g. search engine, dictionary) before asking for help.

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**Notes:**

 1. I've kept the number of bullet points in each list to 5, following user-interface best practice guidance, and tried to use them to hit the most important points.
 2. The hyperlink for the definition of genealogy and family history is intended to show that the definition should be available via a hyperlink, not that that definition is the agreed one.
 3. I've targeted the bullet points at where we seem to have most consensus about on- and off-topic areas.


  [1]: http://meta.genealogy.stackexchange.com/questions/1373/on-and-off-topic-questions-what-is-genealogy-and-family-history
  [2]: http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/
  [3]: http://history.stackexchange.com/