Citizen Archivist Missions

Ready to start tagging and transcribing? We've curated these topical missions to help you jump in and contribute! Click on a topic that interests you, and it will bring you right to those historical records in our Catalog. Tagging and transcribing makes these records more accessible to everyone. New missions are added and updated regularly, so check back often to see what’s new.

New to our Citizen Archivist program? Learn how to register and get started and view the video How to Transcribe in the National Archives Catalog and other how-to videos on the Resources page if you need instructions.

Looking for a previous mission? Visit Mission History

ATTENTION:

Users need to log in and log out of their Catalog accounts each day so that if our developers make any code changes to the Catalog overnight, your account and Citizen Archivist experience will work properly.

Revolutionary War Pension Files Transcription and Tagging Missions

The stories of over 80,000 men and women who lived through the American Revolution are waiting to be told. Will you help us tell them?

Join the transcription mission! Join the tagging mission!

JFK Assassination Records

Records Relating to Key Persons, November 30, 1963–September 24, 1964

Help us transcribe copies of Commission documents; transcripts of testimony, depositions, and affidavits given by the witnesses; memorandums concerning the background of the persons involved, establishing schedules for hearing witnesses; covering letters transmitting depositions and more.

Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Records (UAP)

Sanitized Version of Project Blue Book Case Files on Sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects, 1947–1969

Help us transcribe case files on sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) of Project Blue Book, the U.S. Air Force investigation into UFOs that were sighted between June 1947 and December 1969.

Please note: Do not try to recreate the layout of forms, transcribe them in a way that makes sense to a reader. See our FAQs for advice on transcribing tables.

United States Consular Records, 1872-1917

Help us transcribe State Department telegrams and correspondence from Jaffa and Haifa, Palestine. Topics covered by these records include the protection of interests of American citizens, foreign trade, shipping, and immigration. A portion of records are in a foreign language. You do not need to translate the foreign language records, but you are welcome to transcribe them.

Index to Case Files, ca. 1806-1981

Transcribe this index to persons, companies, organizations, and things involved in cases heard by the District, Circuit, Confederate, and Provisional Courts. The index includes bankruptcy, admiralty, law, equity, civil, criminal, "sundry," and miscellaneous cases. While these records include extracted text, the order is mixed up. Please transcribe so that the information is readable and easily understood rather than trying to mimic the layout on the card.

Letters Received, April 1866–December 1866

Transcribe letters written in cursive that were received by the Freedmen's Bureau office in Macon, Georgia.

Don't Leave Us Hanging

Help us complete these records that have not been fully transcribed. These records have just a few pages left, so be aware that they get completed quickly.

Questions? Email us at citizenarchivist@nara.gov

Outside the Box Missions

Up for a challenge or something different? We often have records that require special work in order to make them more accessible.

New to our Citizen Archivist program? Learn how to register and get started.
Already have an account? Login here.

Chinese Heritage

Help us transcribe and tag records related to the Chinese Exclusion Era. We need your help transcribing these immigration records and tagging very specific details that will help provide greater access to these records. Please read the instructions on the mission page carefully and begin contributing.

Join the mission

Featured Court Case

Prue v. New England Bankcard Assoc Inc, Civil Action Case File # 72-00047

Help us transcribe this case, decided in 1991 by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. It deals with consumer credit and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Start transcribing now

Transcriber Task Force

Seeking expert transcribers! We’ve gathered records that have tricky elements for our expert transcribers. You may find only a few pages that are difficult or the whole record. If you’d like to join our Transcriber Task Force and get emails for special projects, send us an email citizenarchivist@nara.gov

Get started transcribing!

1950 Census Transcription Projects

The 1950 Census is here! We're looking for help transcribing the initial name index for the 1950 Census. While you can transcribe any name or any page within the 1950 Census, we've identified several specific areas where we'd like your help transcribing.

Help refine the 1950 Census name index!