Reader Question:Best Practice on Data Entry

Responding to a Reader Question:

Do you have a blog / blogs on best practices for entering data so that it is a consistent format ?

That is a difficult question:

Data Entry, Best Practice: RECORD (enter the data) that is provided by the Record. (and look at the original image, if there is one).

In many cases, that will result in very inconsistent Facts. For example: I have my father's name entered at least 7 different ways, ALL based on the Records, appropriately cited, where that name came from.

There IS a Best Practice for Place Names, and like the above, I have blogged about this. Best Practice for Consistent Place Names, use the Place Name Authority, in the Places Workspace, with the Resolve Place Name tool.

I have blogged about Dual Entry of Historical Place Names, where I enter the Historical Place Name AND the current place name, as I rely on the Map feature. In the blog post, I mention that I mark the Current Place name a PRIVATE, so that it does NOT appear in the Ancestry Member Tree.
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Copyright © 2019 by Cousin Russ

Why I double enter Historic Place Names

In my previous blog post, I showed how I am able to identify my Colonial Ancestors.

Who are my Colonial Ancestors ?

What I hope to show this time, is the WHY I double enter the Place Name, besides the use of the Map.


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Copyright © 2016 by H R Worthington

FTM2014 - One approach for handling Historic Place Names

There was a question on how to handle Historic Place Names. Here is one approach to that subject. In this case, it's in the state of New Jersey.

My goal is to be consistent in the use of Place Names and to be able to us the Mapping feature of FTM2014.



Will demonstrate how to resolve the place name and where I documented my actions.
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Copyright © 2014 by H R Worthington

FTM2014 - Historic Canadian Place Name

One of my Facebook friends posted this:

The places are Port-Royal (today Annapolis Royal), Beaubassin (no longer exists as a village) and Chipoudy/ie to name a few

FTM2014 wasn't working for this person using the place name.

Since I knew this was a historic place name, and I certainly don't know that much about Canada, I went to Wikipedia and did a search for "Port Royal" paused while the search caught up to me and saw Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Royal,_Annapolis_County,_Nova_Scotia

I read the information in that Wikipedia then put Port Royal into a Place in FTM2014. It showed me that it was an Unresolved place name so I clicked on the ICON to the right end of the place name.

Don't think that Pennsylvania was the one I wanted, but none of the rest helped either. BUT, what if I added Nova Scotia after a comma.

Port Royal, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia, Canada is right, but I don't want to loose the Port-Royal. So, I move it up to the "Place detail (historical name, address, church, cemetery, etc) field.

Look what I got when I clicked on Search: Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

I accepted (Replaced) what I had and now have the right place.

The question came about because of the Map Feature. So, what does the Map say about this place?

In the Place Workspace, Map view, it's under the country of Canada, Nova Scotia, Annapolis, and that pin point is very, very close to the map that is on Wikipedia.

I went back to Wikipedia for Beaubassin, that doesn't exist any more, but I was able to pin point in FTM2014 that location.

Yes, it does take some work, outside of Family Tree Maker, BUT, on the Ariel View in FTM2014 that pin will be just about where that Historic Place WAS located.

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Copyright © 2014 by H R Worthington

FTM2012 (704) - Place Name Hierarchies - Historical Places

Another new feature in the 704 update, was the ability to move our Historical Place names into the new Hierarchical structure of Family Tree Maker. I have a bunch of them, that I marked as Ignore in the past. Now I can put them into the new format. That doesn't mean that I have completely ignored them, but have a better chance of placing them on a map in a historical view, over a current map.

I have a lot of ancestors in "historical" Maryland. There were parishes and I have recorded them in that manner.

When selecting St. Anne's Parish, Maryland, there is a warning in the center panel. There maybe options and other screens, depending on the location and how you entered the data.

 In the past, this entry was ignored, so there is no ICON to the Right of the Place Name. However, clicking on the field, in the Right Panel, the Pencil ICON will appear and the new Pop-up window will appear.

In an earlier blog post, I mentioned what the last paragraph said:

Place Detail (historical name, address, Church, Cemetery, etc.)

Before proceeding, I suggest that you Back Up your file (File Menu).

 The existing Place Name is in the lower field, but by clicking on the UpArrow to the left of that place name, FTM2012 will move the information up to the first comma, into the upper field. So St. Anne's Parish is not in the upper field, and I can now put Anne Arundel Co., Maryland into the correct format for the Place Name authority. You will not, that since my existing file had Anne Arundel Co., Maryland, USA in the file, it is presented. I don't want that, so I select the correct format (without the Co.,)

 Clicking on Replace St. Anne's Parish is now is the Hierarchical format.

Looking back at the "old" format, there is another entry. So this process is repeated.

Since I have already made the new entry, I RIGHT click on the Old Place Name and select Replace With Other Place Name, where I select the one just created.

 Watch carefully, what you create and what you replace the old format with selecting the new format.

 You will be asked "Are you sure..." and Yes is the correct answer.

Lot's of clean up to do.

Note: I do suggest that you run the Compact File AND the Back Up frequently, as you clean up your file.


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Copyright © 2012 by H R Worthington