How do I index an ambiguous date?
Eliminating all other details, the death record I'm indexing has a birthdate of 09-01-1970 and death date of 06-12-2006. I am unsure if the dates are September 1 and June 12 or January 9 and December 6. Normally, I would go by the pattern in the other records to see whether the day should come before the month or vice-versa; however, the current batch that I'm working on has both formats in its other records (determinable by numbers greater than 12), so I don't know which is which.
Is there a default that I should go off of? Or would it be better to index this particular record twice so that I can ensure that I have the correct dates?
Best Answer
-
You're referring to image 2. I think there is enough contextual information in the adjacent images 1 and 3 to deduce that the middle number (mm) when a date is written as xxxx-mm-zz or zz-mm-xxxx. Is the 2-digit month.
In Image 1 you have. Clearly, the middle two digits in the first entry are for the month:
In Image 3 you have the opposite configuration. But, again, the middle two digits in the first entry are for the month.
In Image 2 - the image in question. I would translate it as 09-Jan-1970 (indexed as 9-Jan-1970) and 06-Dec-2006 (indexed as 6-Dec-2006)
So, I would conclude that the practice in these records/ in the area is to place the 2-digit month in the middle, whether the date starts with the year or with the day of the month.
2
Answers
-
@Matthew August Vencill - Would you please share your batch number so that those more knowledgeable than I can help you?
0 -
M325-712. I initially tried sending a message for help about this directly, as I've done before, but I was unable to find the option.
1 -
The Researchers will see the records and draw their own conclusions.
1 -
Depending on where the record is from. The United States does Month, Day, Year. ALL other countries do DAY/Month/Year. In instances where they have placed the year first, look through other records on the page for a number that is not ambiguous and draw the pattern from that entry if it is recorded by the same individual.
Hope that is Helpful.
0
