US, Michigan—Naturalization Records, 1818–1977

FaithHamm

While doing US, Michigan—Naturalization Records, 1818–1977. I looked through the instruction and didn't notice this in them and am wondering if there should be a mention of this. There is no place telling you that should you have two declaration of intentions or if there should be a declaration of intentions and a petition for naturalization or having six declarations of intentions on one image, that after saying yes if they should be indexed. Should there be a note somewhere advising a person that they should also be creating a second image with which ever type of document is next or on the same image. I may not be wording that correctly, so I am hoping someone gets what I am trying to say.

I have also found that while doing review, that I have had to make additional entries for the image that may not have put in for the extra entry(s) such as the image on the right or have made five additional entries for the six declarations of intentions.

I could also be wrong in my thought process of that should you have two images on the same page to be indexed, that each one should be made and entry or is it that somewhere down the line you will be able to add the additional entry once the review has been done on whether they should be indexed or not.

Thanks for your patience in trying to understand what I am trying to say, as I do have a tendency of leaving words out.

erutherford

I added more entries if an image needed it. It would stand to reason that since we add entries to something that we index (like the Oklahoma project), that it should be the same for this project. I'm tagging @Maile L. Can we get a ruling or an instruction on this?

FaithHamm

@erutherford thank you. I just wasn't sure if I was missing something or not.

Melissa S Himes

I have not seen one like you mention yet. But, there is an instruction that covers multiple documents on an image:

• Some documents show multiple naturalization records of the same document type; only 1 entry is required per image or record.
• When more than one document is shown in one image, index the document with the most recent or latest date.

I would think that if the declaration and the petition on an image are for the same person, then you only would index the one with the most recent date - and that will probably be the petition. The point is to get the researcher to the image, not to document every record. Unless the image has a document or documents for other primaries (petitioners/declarants), there should only be 1 entry per image.

The What To Look for in Reviewing instructions also say only 1 entry is required per image or record:

• When indexing a document, use only the information showing on that document; do not add information from other documents on the same image or on other images.
• When more than one document is shown in one image, index the document with the most recent or latest date.
• Some documents show multiple naturalization records of the same document type; only 1 entry is required per image or record.

FaithHamm

@Melissa S Himes Thank you for answering my question.

Melissa S Himes

I have now reviewed a few like you mentioned, @FaithHamm. It is really confusing for people, since we aren't indexing anything in the traditional sense. We are just marking the images for the type of document that is digitized. I'm not sure how they plan to use this information. Training AI (Artificial Intelligence) to do batching or distinguish documents, maybe? Sure would be interesting to know how this work is going to be used!

FaithHamm

@Melissa S Himes I was thinking the same thing and yes it will be interesting to see the outcome of this.

Mary Louise Lillian

It might be used for Name Review on Get Involved? I understand that English projects will be included in Name Review sometime this year.

FaithHamm

• I'm back to asking questions again, about the project instructions. I am still trying to wrap my head around some of these and I thought that I did when someone answered my questions. Maybe I am just getting into my head to much and over thinking this. If I am please let me know.
• One of the instructions reads "When indexing a document, use only the information showing on that document; do not add information from other documents on the same image or on other images." I do understand this but yet I don't, what happens when a name is misspelt on either document, or it has a different DOB or is from a different area all together? Someone's intent may be from Indiana and a Naturalization document may be from Pennsylvania? Are all the documents from one-person collated ie: certificate of arrival, intent, naturalization and oath all together? Under General Instructions Guide, It reads "If multiple dates were given for a birth, type the earliest date." To me this contradicts the project instructions because it say don't add info from other documents.
• The project instructions for this read "Some documents show multiple naturalization records of the same document type; only 1 entry is required per image or record." If you have two documents on the same image ie: two "Declarations of Intent" and they are not for the same person, why wouldn't you make two entries?
• When more than one document is shown in one image, index the document with the most recent or latest date. This instruction can relate to both of the questions above.
• "Petitions for citizenship should be indexed as petitions for naturalization." While doing some review's I have seen that some citizenships have been made to other naturalization documents and others I have seen as citizenships have been made to naturalizations, I'm not sure what they should be made into.

Thank you in advance.

Melissa S Himes

The reason you are only making one entry per page is because this project is simply to indicate what type of record is on the image, not how many potential entries are on the image or any information about the individuals. We aren't indexing these in the traditional sense, we are simply identifying the types of documents in the project. You shouldn't even need to look at the personal information.

IF there was a declaration and a petition on the same image, you would still only create one entry, calling the image a Petition since the instruction is : "When more than one document is shown in one image, index the document with the most recent or latest date." The petition is always going to have the most recent date.

I think that Petition of Citizenship is a new instruction since the question was being asked frequently. So, many of the folks who indexed these would not have known what to do. Now it falls on the reviewers to correct these and follow the instruction: Petitions for citizenship should be indexed as petitions for naturalization.

FaithHamm

@Melissa S Himes Thank you for making this clarification for me, now it makes sense. I just get into my head to much and overthink things at times. Because I believe that this an AI project, it made me over think it on how it will or will not handle the multiple documents on a page.

Thank you for helping me understand this.

eileenlofthouse1

Thank you for this thread. I am reviewing and this has been a concern. Today the images show "oaths" and

Petitions"; both have the exact date most of the time. I have been taking the one on the left as we read left to right. Is this correct or not?

When there is an exact duplicate of image 2 and image 3, I have been indexing the oath on image 2 and the petition on image 3, Correct or not?

I sure want to be doing these correctly. Thanks for helping

Melissa S Himes

Hello Eileen.

It is always best to share a batch that you have questions on to get the best answer. You can either copy the URL address or provide the batch code which are the letters and numbers in brackets after the project title. [XXXX-XXX]

It is odd to me that you would find an Oath and Petition with the exact same dates. The Oath on the left is usually for a different person than the petition. A person files a petition and then waits many years before being allowed to take the Oath. The sequence of papers is the Declaration, the Petition which also has the affidavit of witnesses, and finally, the Oath.

If more than one document is shown on the image, then you follow this rule:

• When more than one document is shown in one image, index the document with the most recent or latest date.

If Image 2 and Image 3 are exact duplicates, then Image 3 would be marked as a Duplicate Image of Image 2 in Step 1 "Should this image be indexed?".

If this isn't helpful, please provide the batch code for a better answer.

eileenlofthouse1

Thanks Melissa. I appreciate your response.

Next question: The form type is not printed but by reading the images can I assume that

this (image 3) an oath of allegiance?

It is GOOD to have a resource for answers!! THANK YOU

https://www.familysearch.org/indexing/batch/6870abc5-cec9-4d3f-9d6e-c7c51a641cbc

erutherford

Image 3 is an Oath of Allegiance.