9 replies to this topic

[Craw]

Hi All,

I hope I'm not asking a stupid question but I would really love a feature that would allow me to mark a specific fact about a person if I have an accompanying certificate in that person's media folder. For example, if I already have a copy of the death certificate for the person then I would like to record that in order that I can create reports showing what certificates I still need to find. Hope this makes sense.

 

Ta.

[zhangrau]

You could create a custom fact type "Certificate" and put codes like B M D maybe G for graduation, etc. into the Certificate Description field.

 

Now you can do searches to create groups & reports.

 

You could also display the Certificate Description in People View and use sorting to examine your info.

[Craw]

Thank you for your prompt and informative reply.  I was sure there would be a way that I had overlooked. I will have a go at this tomorrow.

best wishes from Scotland.

[Vyger]

Hi All,

I hope I'm not asking a stupid question but I would really love a feature that would allow me to mark a specific fact about a person if I have an accompanying certificate in that person's media folder. For example, if I already have a copy of the death certificate for the person then I would like to record that in order that I can create reports showing what certificates I still need to find. Hope this makes sense.

 

Ta.

 

There are many current restrictions to the Find criteria that many are hoping will be overcome in version 8.

 

For example you can search for Death > Source > Exists but not Death > Media > Exists which would effectively close your gap. However whilst the fact is presently the most logical place to attach the media documentation from a perspective of visibility whilst working many would argue quite rightly that the registration is a Source document and should therefore be attached to the Source Citation. The problem in doing that is the existance of the registration document is no longer obvious in the current build RM interface, we don't know at present what changes may occur in RM8.

 

best wishes from Norn Iron

[Jerry Bryan]

 

For example you can search for Death > Source > Exists but not Death > Media > Exists which would effectively close your gap. However whilst the fact is presently the most logical place to attach the media documentation from a perspective of visibility whilst working many would argue quite rightly that the registration is a Source document and should therefore be attached to the Source Citation. The problem in doing that is the existance of the registration document is no longer obvious in the current build RM interface, we don't know at present what changes may occur in RM8.

 

I'm different than some RM users - probably than most RM users - in that I like to make certain important documents into RM facts in their own right, in addition to said documents also being evidence. So for example, I can search for Death Certificate>Exists>is False where Death Certificate is a user defined fact type. That's not perfect because I still need to find missing documents. For example, even the Death Certificate fact itself could be missing a Death Certificate document. I hope that RM8 (or RM9 or RM10, etc.) will someday allow searches such as Death>Media>Exists>is False and really we need a search Death>Source>Media>Exists>is false and Death>Citation>Media>Exists>is false.

I personally (and again perhaps unlike most RM users) don't particularly hope for new features in RM8. All I hope for is the flatter and less clicky user interface that appears to be coming (I still want to evaluate how flat and less clicky it really is), native Mac support, delivery to the users as soon as is practicable, and stability. I will be happy to look further down the road for other enhancements and my hope is that RM will become more responsive to user needs after RM8 is out the door and stable.

 

Beyond that, I find my facts and sources and citations that don't have documents with SQLite queries. One of the most useful features that RM could ever add would be the ability for users to run SQLite queries from a library of such queries so that the users themselves could provide some of RM's reporting needs for each other.

 

Jerry

[zhangrau]

My current plan of attack with multimedia files is to attach them all over the place. That is, wherever a piece of media has primary relevance, "let it be attached."

 

I'm a Master Source lumper (in most types of source), so items referenced from Ancestry will have a Master Source named just like the Ancestry database - sort of:

 - example 1

 - - Ancestry database: U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

 - - my Master Source title: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

 - example 2

 - - Ancestry database: Texas, County Marriage Records, 1817-1965

 - - my Master Source title: TX County Marriage Records, 1817-1965

 

My main revision in the Master Source title is to abbreviate state names and remove some punctuation. That makes predictive typing easier.

 

So a death certificate image will be linked to the Source Citation (which will be pasted to multiple people and facts) and to the Death fact for the individual. This puts the media in it's proper relationship with the Source Citation _AND_ makes it visible in the Edit Person screen.

 

Similarly:

 - city directory images will be linked to a Source Citation and to Residence facts for each appropriate person.

 - census images will be linked to a Source Citation and to every Census fact for which it is a reference.

 - etc.

 

Of course, since I started my database in 1988, my abilities and habits have changed over the years. Hopefully for the better. And that means that my database has a lot of inconsistencies in how well it follows the pattern described above. Ah, the joys of multi-decade research....

[Trebor22]

I too am keen to fill in many of those missing certificates and doing so where I can but without breaking the bank!

 

I think there may be a side point about media exist / not exist searches, I have lots attached as you would expect but in some cases I have a document but its not attached to the database because I believe I don't have permission to publish it - I gather a 'tick box' to include or exclude individual  media items in any export is on the enhancement list - so the suggested searches might not work as I would want at present but perhaps that wished for tick box will surface in RM8?

Its another area where I need to improve my recording but a little bit of help from RM would be nice as well :-)

[Nettie]

I am a Master Lumper also.  And use the fact/event source as is in the original database.  Each source has a note section, citation section and Media section.  Example: Death fact.     If I have an obit, it goes in the Note section, re keyed and stated as abstracted.  Citation, is the real/original owner of the citation, usually the state government,  if on ancestry.com/on familysearch.org, that is a repository  and my notes or citation will tell that.  The copy of the scanned hard copy/digitized copy Death Certificate goes in the Media section.  I have one Death Source for each state.  If I use a RM template that matches EE.'s template,  my source names look like this: Death Cert MN   EE or Death Cert KY  EE.  So ancestry.com is just a holder/owner of the digitized copy and and will say that in the citation.  If I own a copy and scanned it, then in the citation I say scanned by me and still list the real/original owner of the original copy.  [I use the/an original source, because not everyone can afford ancestry.com [$$] they know where to find it and pay a cheaper price than ancestry.com]

 

Over the years of using this software, I have changed how I have done this.  Like the other users of this software, we have gone thru this discussion many times and each of us have made a decision how we want our files to look like.  To me this is a personal choice and what you see above is my personal decision.  

Nettie

[Craw]

Cheers for your help Zhangrau.  I took your advice and added a new fact type named Certificates. Each now contains a list of the certificates that I've obtained for each, non-living, person in my database. It works a treat.  Thanks again, you're a star.

 

On a side note, I've not yet linked the scans of certificates I have to the database at the moment. I wanted to ensure that I created a stable/organised file structure for everything I was going to add by way of certificates - directory for Birth, Bann, Education, Marriage, Death certificates etc etc.

However,  I've probably taken this whole thing too far as I am also adding images of any objects that I know are associated with a particular person - treasured items such as: Pets, cars, clocks, paintings, bibles, jewellery and so on... and also images of their headstones, property they have lived in and buildings they have worked in.

This task has obviously grown arms and legs and become a monumental, but enjoyable, task.  To make things even more complex for myself, I've also started creating a Family Media Website where I've been adding any film (Cine to Digital) and audio clips I can locate for family.

 

For me it is all about building up as full a picture as I can of their life in order that the next generations will know more and not have to make assumptions about certain aspects of their life. This is what I am having to do. Rebuild the picture now, when 20 years ago when some were still here - I could have asked for the answers. 

[Trebor22]

On a side note, I've not yet linked the scans of certificates I have to the database at the moment. I wanted to ensure that I created a stable/organised file structure for everything I was going to add by way of certificates - directory for Birth, Bann, Education, Marriage, Death certificates etc etc.

As I mentioned above RM does not presently allow you to select which images are exported or published if for example you create an online tree, website or book and there may be copyright issues to consider, I too have Scottish ancestry so am mindful of the restrictions ScotlandsPeople places on reproduction of their images, and sadly this has been a consideration in which certificates I link directly to the database and which I just transcribe.

I too like to create a full picture of individuals and also add lots of 'extra images' to peoples records, it all adds to their story :-)