How to use reference images: South Africa, Natal—Vital Records, 1868–1976 [Part E]

Megan Gunn Pew

I'm indexing Indian Marriage Registers and have a question about how to use reference images. In the project instructions it says that if the marriage date is not written, you should use the date of registration as the marriage date. I see the date of registration on the Indian Marriage Registers, but when I look at the +1 reference image, I can find the actual marriage date. I've been indexing the actual marriage date from that reference image assuming it may be more useful and can be easily fixed by a reviewer if I'm wrong. Is it appropriate to use the reference images this way for this project?

I think more clear instructions are needed on how to use reference images for this project

https://www.familysearch.org/indexing/batch/562e5c8f-5b79-495c-99eb-2bcb6a7d89ed

Susan Ann Mullen

The reference image will be indexed by another indexer so it is not necessary to use that data for your batch. There is nothing in the Project Instructions or the Field help indicating you should add that information.

We appreciate you asking and understand your concern.

Thank you for your desire to index these records accurately!

Megan Gunn Pew

Thank you! So this means we should also be indexing applications of marriages?

Melissa S Himes

I couldn't see your shared batch, but, I pulled up another from the project. You should be indexing applications of marriage based on the instructions: marriage certificates, marriage registers, and declarations of marriage. But, you won't be indexing marriage consent forms or divorces.

Reference images are referred to in the project instructions when we are supposed to use them to retrieve a date. Generally it will tell us in the field helps. Usually we don't use them, except to complete a record that begins on one image and continues onto the second image. Or in the case of a register where the page was too large to photograph on one image.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-index-records-that-span-two-images-or-view-additional-images

Here's an example of an instruction for using the reference images to find a date:

• The event year may be written just once for multiple records. This date applies to all subsequent records until a new date was indicated. You many need to view the previous image to verify the event year.

Hope that helps a little.