Indexing and Review
Is there any way to add reference links to other or original documents relevant to the batches we are working on? Many of the Family Search projects include batches that are of poor or unreadable quality when the originals are perfectly clear and readable. I have on two occasions found offsite originals that are of much better quality than those supplied by Family Search. Unfortunately many of those I work on have no readable originating information so I am restricted to submitting only a few names when, in fact, I should be able to submit hundreds.
Answers
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No there is not. We also do not use outside sources in indexing. If a batch is of poor quality, simply return the batch. Another indexer may be able to index it.
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I assume this is because they might potentially not be the same record page, given the FS one is so illegible? I can't see otherwise why you wouldn't use a more legible version to save your eyes (and those of another indexer who ends up having to try).
Also, surely unnecessarily bad images need to be reported and replaced if they are to be used effectively and accurately by researchers thereafter.
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Batches are not reported unless there are malicious batches indexed. A poor-quality document does not equal an unindexable document. There are indexers who are capable of indexing what you or I would deem a poor document.
What happens to poor or unindexable documents is beyond my pay grade. Maybe they're just pulled. Maybe they're pulled and rescanned. Maybe they're sent into space in a capsule.0 -
I appreciate your comments and understand the dangers of using 'outside' material. However, using poor quality materials does nothing for either the Church or the Client requesting this work. Hence my suggestion that the appropriate 'outside' files (reference links) could be appended to each batch for clarity.
FYI, I consider myself able to 'see' what most indexers cannot, and have done dozens, if not hundreds, of difficult batches. However, this doesn't help when the page is mostly blank (and it's frustrating to know that good quality copies are available).
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@steelwise Maybe you could try writing to the FamilySearch Library about the poor quality scans, as ultimately the Library to me seems to "own" the microfilms.
Email address FHL-SLC-FilmRequests@churchofjesuschrist.org given in https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-request-a-correction-to-the-familysearch-catalog
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'A poor-quality document does not equal an unindexable document.' No, but it does equal a source that is less accurate and usable than it potentially could be, whether or not the metadata is good enough to retrieve it. I am therefore surprised that the indexing function doesn't provide a way of flagging images as substandard.
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Your comments/suggestions are much appreciated. Thank you
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