Add More Specific Details from Record

Savage, Anson Raymond

When adding a new record, there is an option to add new data, which is great!

However, as in the above example, there is also more specific birth information. I don't have an option to pull or update the birth information using data from the record. Instead, I have to remember that there is a more specific birth date, copy it, and then go to his record and manually add it. If there were an option to automate this, that would be great!

Gordon Collett

As a general practice, it is always good to go back to the Details page and review everything about what just happened during linking the source.

In the example above:

1) Where was Sven really born, Jarna or Skamhed? If it really was Skamhed, you shouldn't be moving the birth over anyway. There is not enough information in the Source Linker to say which one is right. There may be several sources on the person showing the birth place should stay as Skamhed.

2) Does the original record really say Jan or Jun for the birth and christening? If there is no linked image, you can find the original for free at the Swedish archives website: https://riksarkivet.se/

3) Did the month really end up completely spelled out?

4) Which is most correct for the time period, Dalarna or Kopparberg? If Kopparberg, then you are going to have to correct the information you moved over for the christening anyway.

There is just too much that needs to be done to expect the Source Linker to handle it all. And the last thing you want to do is replace correct information with wrong information based on a possibly incorrectly indexed source.

Julia Szent-Györgyi

The problem is that Source Linker is not showing you everything you need to be able to see about that profile. What if there's a reason statement or a collaboration note explaining why the baptismal record's birthdate cannot be correct? You'd be replacing an imprecise but accurate conclusion with a precise but possibly inaccurate one, and if the reasoning was in the reason box, you'd also be relegating that to the change log -- without ever seeing it.

Source Linker can only add, not replace, and this is a good thing.

W D Samuelsen contact me please

Go to the image record to verify.

Paul W

I agree with nearly all the comments made above, although most of my verification problems relate to not having an available image from which I can check the original details.

Regardless of whether the detail can be carried across or not, when linking the source, you should always go back to the profile of the individual and check the details found on sources added earlier. In the example of birth data, I have encountered this differing between different documents, so you will have to assess which appears to be most likely to be correct. I have found the birth date (particularly the year of birth) to vary between different census records and the DOB / age given on a death certificate not matching that found on an earlier document - though one would assume a birth certificate to be the most reliable evidence.

If you don't have birth certificate detail, carrying over a year / place of birth from an indexed record definitely needs an immediate return to the individual's Details page, as the age (especially if taken from a census record) will often be at least one year adrfit, and the place might be the general locality (nearest main town) rather than the actual village in which the person was born.

There should be no shortcuts when undertaking genealogical work - taking the extra time to verify the facts is always worth the effort.