Yesterday we released the Washington and Monatan Naturalization Indexes. This project is a little different than other Indexes projects as we are keying both Index pages and Index cards. To find out more about this project please refer to the Help article, message board, and project page.
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Roger: I agree but there are only 3 blank fields: alias given, alias surname, and birth location. The date fields are filled automatically when you tab thru them.
I interpret contradictory information…on the help page, I see that – on the index page – we should complete the first column of names then complete the second column. In the sidebar instructions that present when the actual page is being keyed, it states that if there is more than one name on a line, start a new line for each name…thus hinting that the keying should go across the line rather than by the columnn. (Make sense?) Which way should we key…across the page or down the column?
Thanks.
Anna,
Since there is a date at the top of each column, it seems to me that you would continue down the column. When it is finished, you would go to the other column, enter the date and go down it. As Gretchen pointed out, the date fields fill-in automatically as you tab through them.
Ann
Another question. As an arbitrator, how do you add additional lines for names that were missed when the form was initially keyed? I just completed an index and each keyer missed a person (though a different person) in the index. I corrected the information as I continued to arbitrate but needed to add a person at the end. How is this done? Thanks.
I started the WA/MT Indexes and read thru instructions and posts. Wouldn’t you know it that I get a sheet that doesn’t resemble the instructions. It has 3 columns: Last Name, First Name and a number. What is the number and do I key it?
Most of the copies that I have had to key have been copied incorrectly, the center of the ledger book has been copied. You cannot read the names.
I know that this is rated as easy but the person who recorded the info. from the immigrant had the worst handwriting I have ever had to work with. I take that back, the military records were awful too.
When I first began on the WA/MT indexes I began on a page w/no date at the top of the pg. So I entered “pre the date further down the page, until I came to that date. I changed to that date for the following entries until it changed again. On some pages the dates are not in chronological order, eg 1892, then 1903, then back to 1890 all on the same page. Since I repeatedly open pages with no starting date at the top I felt it only logical to put the pre…such and such a date until I reach that date, meaning previous on the page. If I was doing the entries from the very begining I would enter the date from the last date on the previous page, but that is not possible as I do not receive them in any particular order. So I assume I should go strictly by the info on each page. I down loaded over ten sets once, but due to a problem with my internet service for a few days, they all expired (I had completed them while waiting for the internet to get up and running again, but it was too late. I want to do the entry work correctly and I want to be consistant. Lilly
Lily,
When I enter the WA/MT Indexes: if the top of the first page of a set has no date (it is a continuation of the previous set), I leave those entries as BLANK. I have no idea what it is.
If both keyers do the same thing, it will flow through Arbitration without an additional correction from the Arbitrator.
If pages 2 through 5 have no date, I’m using the last date from the previous page. As long as this is a contination within the same set.
By the way, it may affect your accuracy rating.
I have no idea why the dates jump around.
Ann
I recently started arbitrating some of the WA/MT Indexes and the one thing that stood out very consistently was the confusion between the letters ‘n’ & ‘u’ , ‘e’ & ‘l’ , ‘h’ & ‘l,e’ , ‘h’ & ‘k’ .
While the person(s) who entered the names in the ledger had clear script, the formation was barely different between some of these letters.
Hopefully this hint will help.
Ann
Hi,
I have noticed that many times I have keyed in information and then when I returned to the site the information I have keyed is gone.
Is there something I am doing wrong.
Thanks and I enjoy helping.
I’ve been keying the WA/MT indexes for several weeks. Yesterday I came across a mis-scanned page that had part of the previous page I had just keyed and overlain with new names but without the dates. It was all bolloxed up. I don’t think I can proceed because I don’t want to “submit” a page that didn’t actually get done. What next?
I just downloaded my first set of Washington/Montana Naturalization Indexes and have the same problem as Comment Number: 6 by: Janet McNeil. The pages I downloaded appear to have no relationship to the example pages even though the title bar says they are the naturalization indexes. They seem to be USDistrictCourt 3rd Judicial District. I keyed 3 of the 5 but I think I’m going to return uncompleted and try another download. Anyone else have this experience? Are these part of the Wash/Montana indexes?
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Hi Anna,
When you create the form for these indexes, could you try to remove the unneeded fields? Right now I am working on the Wash/Montana index pages. For each given name and surname that I enter, I have to tab through six blank fields. It is a real time waster.
Thanks
Roger