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airland
airland ✭
March 6 in Get Involved

In Reviewing Names: An example: the document has Thos. It has been indexed by the computer as Thomas. Do I leave it that way or change it to the abbreviation?

Also, do I leave the periods after initials?

If the document has a spelling of the name that is messy/trails off without all the letters or appears to be spelled wrong - but it is spelled correctly on the rest of the page should I spell it the correct way?

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Best Answers

  • annewandering
    annewandering ✭✭✭✭
    March 7 Answer ✓

    I was told in another thread to leave them expanded.

    2
  • John W. O'Brien
    John W. O'Brien ✭✭
    March 7 Answer ✓

    It is also my understanding to leave the name expanded ...... unless if it's wrong, of course.

    Regarding the messy/trails off name: you should correct the name to the correct spelling. (on another thread it was pointed out the goal is the make it possible researchers to find the family name, so obviously it would have to be spelled correctly.)

    1
  • annewandering
    annewandering ✭✭✭✭
    March 7 Answer ✓

    "Should I correct abbreviations?

    The purpose of reviewing is to make the name easier to find. Ask yourself how the name would most likely be used in an online search. If the abbreviation is not an actual name, consider spelling it out.

    Do not let the fear of making a mistake prevent you from reviewing. The system keeps track of the name as it was originally indexed, as well as any edits that you make. The name can then be found with either spelling."

    https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/where-do-i-find-project-instructions-for-review-names

    1

Answers

  • Áine Ní Donnghaile
    Áine Ní Donnghaile ✭✭✭✭✭
    March 7

    What do the instructions indicate? Sometimes, the instructions are to expand abbreviations. Other times, the instructions are NOT to expand.

    0
  • airland
    airland ✭
    March 7

    The instructions do not address these issues. I am questioning because the indexing directions may be different than for reviewing names.

    0
  • airland
    airland ✭
    March 11

    In Reviewing Names : Why does it go over the same name multiple times?

    0
  • annewandering
    annewandering ✭✭✭✭
    March 14 edited March 14

    I have noticed the AI sometimes indexes/reads those same names in different ways. One of the things we are doing in reviewing these names is teaching the computer how to read them correctly. Our brains are actually better than the AI but it can do rote material faster especially if we teach it how to read accurately which we do by reviewing it's work.

    To be clear this is not the only reason we are doing these reviews. We are reviewing so the records are indexed correctly firstly and foremost.

    0
  • airland
    airland ✭
    March 14

    My point is: When indexing we are told not to expand abbreviations- to leave it as Thos - it is not clear how to do it in the reviewing names

    0
  • annewandering
    annewandering ✭✭✭✭
    March 14

    We are asked to leave the names expanded in this project. It is not regular indexing and the rules are different.

    1
  • dontiknowyou
    dontiknowyou ✭✭✭✭✭
    March 19

    What about possessives? They occur with and without apostrophe. An example is John R. Allens wardrobe.

    0
  • annewandering
    annewandering ✭✭✭✭
    March 19

    Since we are not told how to index it, I would correct it to Allen so it is a proper name.

    2
  • dontiknowyou
    dontiknowyou ✭✭✭✭✭
    March 19

    What it is, is a real Problem of too many Capitalized Words in long blocks of Text.

    0
  • annewandering
    annewandering ✭✭✭✭
    March 19 edited March 19

    The AI needs us teachers to teach it how to index those long capitalized words in long blocks of text! And of course for us to review so these records can go out to the researchers!

    1
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