ADVICE: HOW-TO...
                           Submit Data from Your Family Research
                     for inclusion on the Cook Co. ILGenWeb Genealogy Website
                                    Cook County, Illinois

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Information contributed for use in Cook County ILGenWeb
        Last Updated: Jan 2001


* What TYPE of data can I submit?
* What about COPYRIGHT regulations?
* There are SO many places that I can submit data... where do I start?
* Will my data be SOLD?
* Where do I submit my data?



WHAT TYPES OF DATA CAN I SUBMIT?
-----------------------------------------------------

The Cook County ILGenWeb genealogy website accepts any data you can provide
that relates to genealogy research for your Cook County family members, or any Cook
County family members being researched by others.

We have added many "enter it yourself" entry pages so that users can enter their own data.
Before submitting data to one of the Cook County ILGW County Coordinators, please check
the main page to see if you can submit the data on one of our "enter it yourself" entry pages,
instead of sending us an email and waiting for us to add the data to the website.

All non-commercial genealogy links are acceptable.  If the link
you submit is not acceptable, we will email you to let you know why.

WHAT ABOUT COPYRIGHT REGULATIONS?
-----------------------------------------------------

As most family researchers are aware, copyright issues can be a "thorn in the side"
of the genealogy world.  It is our understanding that according to current copyright
law interpretion, FACTS cannot be held under copyright, therefore, only the
PRESENTATION of those FACTS are under copyright.  Even if a resource that you are
using (with the exception of PUBLIC DOCUMENTS: birth certificates, marriage licenses,
etc) does not display copyright information, the author/publisher may still exert
copyright infringement allegations, and the copyright protection will probably hold
up in court as a "copyright infringement".

If you are submitting info that is under copyright (less than 75 years old), please 
only include the FACTS pertinent to your submission.  If unsure, submit your data, 
including the copyright and publishing info to us and we will re-word it for you.



THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES THAT I CAN SUBMIT DATA... WHERE DO I START?
--------------------------------------------------------------------

If the data that you want to submit deals with Cook County ILLINOIS Genealogy, then
the best place to start is here!



WILL MY DATA BE SOLD?
-----------------------------------------------------

Any data submitted to any USGenWeb (web)site remains the property of the SUBMITTER.

As such, all volunteers supporting any USGenWeb website have agreed that no data will

be transferred, for fee or free, to any other non-profit, commercial, or private

organization, website, or entity.

According to the ByLaws of the USGenWeb project,
"The purpose of this organization shall be to gather genealogical and historical
information for free online access by researchers."



HOW DO I SUBMIT DATA?
-----------------------------------------------------

After reading all of the info on this page, please provide your data in an email or
by submitting it yourself on one of "enter it yourself" entry pages (see above).

If a "enter it yourself" entry page is not available for you to enter your data
yourself, then all data should be submitted by email to one of the Cook County
ILGenWeb Genealogy website county coordinators.