Why does FamilySearch persist in refusing to correct metadata errors?

Paul W

The example below is just one of many. I was promised last year the issue would be looked at, but like so many of my previous reports on similar issues, nothing has been done.

How can these records be of help - especially to the inexperienced FamilySearch user - when they don't even show the correct English county? There are obviously thousands of these "sources" showing to be Northumberland parish register records, whereas most relate to parish register entries for established (Anglican) churches in County Durham.

I would not expect FamilySearch to make changes that only affect the (incorrect) details of one or two individuals, but completely incorrect information against thousands? Reports of material must surely be acted upon if the accuracy of the organisation's record-keeping is to retain credibility.

Reported in 2020 - these are not Northumberland records, they are all taken from the Sunderland, County Durham parish register:

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?q.surname=sinclair&q.surname.exact=on&q.birthLikePlace=northumberland&q.birthLikePlace.exact=on&q.birthLikeDate.from=1800&q.birthLikeDate.to=1830&q.fatherGivenName=james&q.fatherGivenName.exact=on&q.motherGivenName=eliz*&q.motherGivenName.exact=on&count=20&offset=0&m.defaultFacets=on&m.queryRequireDefault=on&m.facetNestCollectionInCategory=on

Even more strangely, when presented as record hints, they appear as Northumberland non-conformist church records, even though there is nothing to indicate (from examining the source) they relate to anything other than (Anglican) parish records - albeit for the wrong county!

Click on "Review and Attach", then "Record" and you will find this: no mention of being a Non-Conformist Church Record - though still the incorrect county!

dontiknowyou

This is an indexing error that will require escalation for repair.

Unfortunately, there is a long line of similar errors in line for same.

Paul W

There have been many similar queries of this nature appearing on this forum, so I thought I would paste the email response I just received from Support:

"We wanted to follow-up to let you know that corrections to the indexed place for the Record Collection: England, Northumberland, Parish Registers, 1538-1950 are not currently being made. A team is evaluating our record collections and exploring options to make such corrections in the future. 

Meanwhile, when you use a record as a source and the index has errors that are not editable, we suggest that you edit the source--after you attach it to an ancestor. To do that, from the list of sources for a person, click View Source for the item that has the error. Then click Edit. From there you can edit the title to more accurately reflect the content. 

We apologize for the indexing errors that are in our record collections. We hope that corrections will soon be more widely available."

In summary, it appears that these kind of errors might be addressed at some future date, but certainly not any time soon. Rather disappointing, but I guess FamilySearch is entitled to decide what it considers to be its priorities.

Paul W

Here is the response I received on this issue, from Support on 24 August (my italics for emphasis):

"We wanted to follow-up to let you know that corrections to the indexed place for the Record Collection: England, Northumberland, Parish Registers, 1538-1950 are not currently being made. A team is evaluating our record collections and exploring options to make such corrections in the future. 

Meanwhile, when you use a record as a source and the index has errors that are not editable, we suggest that you edit the source--after you attach it to an ancestor. To do that, from the list of sources for a person, click View Source for the item that has the error. Then click Edit. From there you can edit the title to more accurately reflect the content. 

We apologize for the indexing errors that are in our record collections. We hope that corrections will soon be more widely available."

The two sections italicised make it clear the reference is not just being made to my specific problem with the Northumberland collection, but there is currently no facility in operation to address these (metadata) issues (although this is being evaluated).

I am just worried that the advice still being given in Community - for FamilySearch users to report their examples here - will create false hopes, at least of any short-term fix regarding these errors.

Paul W

Please see my additional comments at https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/371316#Comment_371316, as I do not want to discourage any reporting of metadata issues that can currently be addressed.