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How do I index an ambiguous date?

Matthew August Vencill
Matthew August Vencill ✭
February 15, 2022 in Indexing

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?

Tagged:
  • Birth date
  • Unanswered Questions
  • Death information
0

Best Answer

  • John Empoliti
    John Empoliti ✭✭✭✭✭
    February 15, 2022 edited February 15, 2022 Answer ✓

    @Matthew August Vencill

    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:

    image.png

    In Image 3 you have the opposite configuration. But, again, the middle two digits in the first entry are for the month.

    image.png

    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)

    image.png

    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

  • PiperTWilson
    PiperTWilson ✭✭✭
    February 15, 2022

    @Matthew August Vencill - Would you please share your batch number so that those more knowledgeable than I can help you?

    0
  • Matthew August Vencill
    Matthew August Vencill ✭
    February 15, 2022

    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
  • John Empoliti
    John Empoliti ✭✭✭✭✭
    February 15, 2022

    The Researchers will see the records and draw their own conclusions.

    1
  • Carrie Pitt
    Carrie Pitt ✭
    February 16, 2022

    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
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