Merging Duplicates that lack sources - Yay or Nay?

Emily Considine Krafjack

I've spent my evening cleaning up multiple duplicates on a family; it's a challenge that I don't mind really. I was very excited when I cleaned them up - these were duplicates I discovered that weren't flagged by familysearch. When I finished, I noted -- now on three family members familysearch is flagging duplicates!

My investigation resulted in seeing that the three people have no sources and all three profiles are generated by FamilySearch.

The only hesitancy I have is that one family member is noted by FamilySearch as "Annie" and my records correctly indicate "Elizabeth or Lizzie" as she is sometimes called. This person is the mother.

One family member (daughter) has the exact birth date so I know these are duplicates because the others have no birthdates (on FamilySearch's profiles).

I was ready to merge these but I'm hesitant because of the "Annie" vs "Elizabeth aka Lizzie". I'm interested in knowing how others would handle this as I still consider myself a "newbie."

Thank you!

Paul W

@Emily Krafjack

If all that seems to not match is that single factor (of the different first name for the mother) I would not hesitate in merging "Elizabeth / Lizzie" with "Annie" and continuing with the merging of IDs of the other family members.

I would say that in cases like this a lack of sources is a good reason to merge, rather than to be hesitant. However, you haven't mentioned whether these two individuals have connections to a wider branch within the tree. Obviously, if the parents / grandparents, etc. for Elizabeth / Lizzie and Annie are shown differently you would have to think twice about proceeding.

With regards to FamilySearch hints on possible duplicates, I still haven't worked out how their algorithms are designed. Sometimes "blatantly obvious" matches are missed, other times the suggestions are based on a factor like just the parents names matching, regardless of the wrong time period and part of the country where they lived.

You just have to evaluate each case as it presents itself. In this case, as I have suggested, if there is nothing to suggest these are not the same family groups, you will not be doing any harm in merging IDs containing little or no information (or connection to other generations, etc.) with the ones you have been creating / positively identifying that belong to your family.

Finally, make sure you provide reason statements that will appear in the change log, for other users to read. For example, if you do go ahead with this merge, add a comment like, "No evidence that this individual was ever known as Annie. Records show the mother of these children was always known as Elizabeth or Lizzie."

Gordon Collett

Paul W's given you about all the advice you need but I want to comment on one statement you made:

"My investigation resulted in seeing that the three people have no sources and all three profiles are generated by FamilySearch."

When it appears that a profile has been generated by FamilySearch, what you are really seeing is a profile imported into Family Tree from a previous database. These older systems did not include contributor names or sources. But sometimes you can track down the source of them anyway and that can help you figure out whether they are really duplicates or not. Sometimes if you take the information in the possible duplicate and use it in exactly the format it is in, you can search the historical record databases and find the source it actually came from. The other place to search for the record is in the IGI under Genealogies although often there it won't have a source either.

dontiknowyou

No sources? Try to find sources, then merge away.

Emily Considine Krafjack

Thank you everyone!