Large number of mis-indexed records
I recently found that several pages around this one (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99VD-JYH7?cc=2285843) in "Massachusetts Town Deaths Index, ca. 1640-1961" have mis-indexed years. The death dates should be around 1903, but are indexed as the 1850s. I could of course go through and change them one by one, but it's frustrating to navigate from one mis-indexed record to the next. Is there some area where I can submit a mass correction, or someone at FamilySearch who has access to a system that can do this much faster?
Answers
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We have been told to post issues like this here in the Q and A: Search category. Corrections are being held pending completion of a system re-engineering project.
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@Cecilia de Montoya CHF - SAS This isn't a batch that is being indexed, so there will not be a window that says to "Reindex Batch". This image is from the the catalog:
"Massachusetts Town Deaths Index, ca. 1640-1961," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99VD-JYH7?cc=2285843 : 23 October 2020), > image 1 of 1; town clerks and local historical associations, Massachusetts.
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This is probably a metadata/post-processing error, not an indexing error. I wish FS would give us clear instructions on how to deal with these, but I think they simply don't want to know, because there are more and more of them, lately.
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My understanding is that it is only corrections related to the Catalog that are subject to delay, associated to reasons you mention.
As Julia suggests, we need confirmation as to whether there really is any point in reporting metadata errors of the nature of that reported in this post. I have seen moderators say they would be passed on to a specialist team, but in around ten years of reporting metadata errors (admittedly, usually relating to incorrect locations) I don't think I have seen much evidence of corrections.
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@Paul W the explanation I received was that due to machine indexing now there is no bright line between cataloging errors and indexing errors: they are the result of the same process.
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I am checking with a supervisor on this issue. There are some issues that are system wide that we can report on and get something done. This one seems different, so I am unsure. In response to the earlier conversation, we know that right now, the Catalog can’t be corrected: How do I request a correction to the FamilySearch Catalog?
However, this is not a catalog issue. A catalog issue would be referring to something on the catalog page. This is the Catalog page that can't be corrected right now: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/766790?availability=Family%20History%20Library.
If you click on a name on the index below the image and then on the paper symbol that pops up to the left of the name, you can get to the indexed page. For example, if I follow the link given, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99VD-JYH7?cc=2285843&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AFH22-CWL, then click on Ellen E. Keach Cole in the index below the image, then click on the paper symbol, I get to this page: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH22-CWL If I went to Search I could enter the name of the collection and get to this page: https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2285843. If I then searched the collection for Ellen Cole with death in 1903, I would not get the result I wanted. If I left out the death date and searched for Ellen Cole with father Lovel Keach, I would find what I was looking for, but I would have to look at the image to get the correct information.
In other words, the problem is making searching the index completely useless by date for the records so affected, but usable by relationship. Nobody would know to search the index by a relationship instead of a date, so I am hoping this is one that we can do something about, but won't know until I hear something back.
The other problem is that right now, most of the issues that only involve one collection are not being worked on. They can be reported using the Feedback link, but they will probably sit for a long time before anything is done. I will report back when I know something more.
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I checked with a supervisor and was told that this doesn't look like something like the systemwide issues that we can send up to be worked on now. The only option that leaves us is the Feedback link. I added a file that shows the feedback link circled in red, because I can't see that link in Chrome, although others do. I have to look in Firefox to see it. So if you don't see the link, try another browser. This is the way to report issues that are not systemwide. Unfortunately, they are not being worked on right now, but at least that will get the issue added to the list so that it will get worked on eventually.
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