I am indexing a directory
I am indexing a directory, the instructions state to not index duplicate names and there is no data box for suffixes. When I run across a "John Doe" and "John Doe Jr", I can't enter the "Jr" therefore I have a duplicate name and can't enter junior's name. That seems to be a problem.
Best Answer
-
Hi Richard. It's not really a problem. Yes, we only index names such that the Indexed Entries are different from one another. So, if the Entries for two persons would not differ in one of the Indexed Fields, then we only Index the first instance of those names. So, if John Doe and John Doe Jr. do not differ in a Prefix, Spouse's Given or Surname or one of the other Indexed Fields, then we only need an Entry for John Doe to represent the whole collection of such John Doe(s) including John Jr. As you mentioned, there is not a Suffix Field to be indexed, so John Doe represents himself and his son - unless there is an Indexed Field that distinguishes them. However, a Researcher will be drawn to all the John Doe(s) like John and John Jr. by your indexing of just one of them and will see all the distinctions between and among them including suffixes, occupations, addresses, etc. Likewise, the John Doe(s) that have, for example, a spouse named Mabel (and no other Indexable differences), will be well represented (for searching purposes) by the first of those John Doe(s), etc. with a spouse named Mabel.
2
