It can be helpful to learn about the documents you’re researching or are interested in–what they are, where they came from, facts you might find in them, historical context, and more. Details like these can be found in a record’s Source information and About [collection name] sections.

Viewing source and collection information

1. Go to the record collection’s search page. To do that:
   
   From an image: Select the collection name at the top of the page (above the image).
   
   From an index or detail page: Select the collection name at the top of the page  (under the person’s name and above the Detail and Source tabs).
   
    
2. Scroll past the search fields to learn more about the record collection.
   

Source information section

Source information is often used to create a citation that documents your findings (showing others how to retrace the steps of your research) or to identify where original documents are located. It typically describes the document’s source and repository.
 

• Source: the person, place, or thing (like records, indexes, or interviews) from which you get information. It generally includes the name of the publication (document, book, person, and so on) where you found information about a fact or event.  
• Citation: Details from the source, such as the volume, section, or page number where you found the information and the date you found it.
• Repository: the source’s location (either physical or digital), such as the Family History Library or National Archives.
  
  You can often learn more about a record or collection by visiting the original repository’s website or location.
  
  To maintain the authenticity of our record database, correction requests for records without an image (like index-only collections) must be made to the original repository. They will be updated on Ancestry after we receive the updated record.  

About [collection name] section

Many collections on Ancestry also include helpful information about the collection, such as:
 

• Historical context
• Interesting facts
• Privacy and redaction details
• Sample images
• What facts you might find (like names, dates, places, and family members)
• Tips for searching that collection
• and more