Vague Instructions
Can someone review and revise or clarify the project instruction pertaining to city & business directories. As now written, we are instructed to only index the first of multiple given names. This does not make sense!! In just about every case the given names, although the same, can be associated with different individuals. Indexing only the first of a given name, leaves out other individuals with the same first name. EXAMPLE: "Smith, John, fireman, 201 Center St." "Smith, John, carpenter, 402 N. Elm St." "Smith, John, laborer, Elm St. Apts. #347." These are three (3) separate individuals, but by your instructions only one (1) needs to be indexed. I think this is WRONG!
As to widows. During reviews, the husband surname is being left blank. This does not make sense for two reasons. The lady in question is listed as a "widow." If she had re-married, it stands to reason, she would be listed under her new married name, henceforth, as a widow, her husband's and her surname should be the same and listed. Agree? Your help in clarifying the instructions would help indexers tremendously!
Best Answers
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If you index Smith, John, fireman, into the provided fields and Smith, John, carpenter, in the provided fields it shows as just Smith, John in the hints for the researcher. No matter which the researcher is looking for he will find his John Smith with just one instance of Smith, John being indexed.
When that researcher gets the hint for his ancestor, he will go to the image and decide which is his family member.
As for widow consider this. Say Mary Smith lost her husband, John Robinson, in January. She married Sam Smith in April but divorced him shortly after. So does John have the same surname as Mary Smith?
We do not know for sure that the deceased husband has the same surname as Mary so we do not index his surname same as hers.
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The 2nd example in the project is clear and the field help for spouses surname also instructs us not to index a surname of others listed in the document. We do not index the surname of the spouse, no matter whether it is a male or a female, deceased or alive.
Regarding duplicate names, if you do enter duplicate names, the system will delete them when you submit the batch.
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Answers
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I think it's very helpful to remember that you're entering WHAT YOU SEE. You're not entering what you assume. It's up to a researcher to make assumptions and decide what is useful and what isn't.
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