ORGANIZATION AND REPRESENTATION OF NON-TEXTUAL INFORMATION IN FAMILYSEARCH

Abstract

FamilySearch is the world’s largest publicly accessible digital genealogical repository, currently bringing together 13.2 billion searchable names in a unified family tree. Historically, its collection was built through the digitization of microfilms of predominantly textual documents, whose indexing relies on collaborative processes (crowdsourcing). However, the organization’s recent expansion toward preserving family history culminated in the creation of the “Memories” module, introducing unprecedented complexity to the organization and representation of the platform’s information by incorporating non-textual content streams. Given this scenario, this study aimed to analyze the processes of thematic representation of these visual, audio, and audiovisual resources, investigating how social indexing structures (folksonomy) impact access to and retrieval of information. Methodologically, this study is designed as a descriptive-exploratory case study with a qualitative approach, grounded in the convergence of documentary analysis and discourse analysis. The unit of analysis is limited to the “Memories” module, an environment characterized by user-generated and user-indexed content. The results demonstrate that users’ free and subjective language generates linguistic phenomena and silences that undermine information retrieval. We conclude that there is a need to apply the theoretical principles of the field through an assisted and suggestive indexing interface, mitigating the shortcomings of folksonomy and ensuring greater precision in retrieving these non-textual elements without nullifying the discursive expression of memory.