What is indexing?
Indexing involves reading the census images, and checking that
the transcription is accurate to the original. The census data has
been transcribed and the records stored in a database. As with any
large project it is inevitable that errors occur and the indexing
project is concerned with correcting any mis-transcribed entries.
Who is running the project?
The UKIndexer
website has been set up by S&N
Genealogy Supplies and British
Data Archive so that we can administer the indexing projects
more efficiently and provide a useful site for genealogists separate
from our commercial operations.
Where do I get the images to transcribe from?
The project uses state-of-the-art software tools that present the
census images in conjunction with the means to edit the database
records. These tools are available from the UKIndexer homepage (login
required).
The images and records are taken from the online resources available
at www.GenealogySupplies.com,
or from www.BritishDataArchive.com.
Alternatively you can ring our sales team on 01722 716121.
What should I do about abbreviations?
You should transcribe abbreviated names as they are written, for
example Thos. should remain Thos. The main tenet of transcription
is that you should copy faithfully what is in the text.
What should I do if I find spelling mistakes in the original document?
You should transcribe the names as they are written. As with the
last question the transcription should be as close to the original
as possible, spelling mistakes and all!
What should I do if I cannot make out the handwriting?
Use your best judgement and then put a ? at the end to indicate
uncertainty. In other cases, where, for example the beginning of
the name has been obliterated put in a ? at the beginning and then
just show the parts you can make out. Researchers will usually try
all the common misspellings of a name, but attempts will usually
start with the same letter. Therefore the first few letters
are the most important so that the name will appear in approximately
the right place alphabetically and therefore will appear in the
online searches.
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