UK Census Information

[half pint 0]

Hi

 

I have been building my tree on TMG for quite a while, just for my benefit. I have had no need to print off any reports etc as yet but my brain is now beginning to think a long the lines of "am I keying everything in the best format to facilitate this".

 

At the moment I have created a source for each county and year of census ie 1901 English Census Cumberland and am placing the names of everyone, their age, place of birth and relation to the head of house in the citation detail box. I am then keying the source citation in the citation detail box.

 

I am using the head of the household as the head of the household and adding everyone else who is on my tree as a witness.

 

 

Is this the best way, or are there ways I could improve things.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to hearing your suggestions.

 

Regards

 

Half Pint

[Terry Reigel 0]

I doubt you will get anyone to agree on what is the "best" way to enter census data - there are may different methods in use.

 

I think the first question to answer is why are you recording the data, how would you like it to appear when you access it in TMG, and how would you like it to appear in reports?

 

Putting the details in the CD means that information will appear in the footnotes in your reports. Is that what you want to happen? Do you cite the same census more than once, say for name, birth, relationship, occupation, residence, and census tags? If so, I'd not think you want it all to appear each time.

 

My method of recording census data is described in my Census Article. Basically, I enter the Census as a Source, but do not record anyplace the entire details from the census record. I keep a copy of the census image for that, outside of TMG. I cite the source for each tag that it provides information for, recording in the CD what it says if it's different in any way from what I record in the tag (say when I record a birth date estimated from an age, or when the name is recorded differently than from other sources). Then, I create a Census Tag, in which I record the family makeup, location, and any data of interest that doesn't go in other tags.

 

Others use different systems. The important thing is to decide what you want, then use a system that accomplishes that.

[half pint 0]

Hi Terry

 

Thank you for replying, I am sorry to have taken so long to get back to you but I have been unexpectedly away for a few weeks.

 

I posted the topic for two reasons, to hear what processes others use and although TMG is worldwide [and rightly so as I believe it is the best] I thought it would be nice to make contact with more lister's from the UK.

 

Again thank you for coming back to me.

 

Regards

 

Half Pint

 

 

I doubt you will get anyone to agree on what is the "best" way to enter census data - there are may different methods in use.

 

I think the first question to answer is why are you recording the data, how would you like it to appear when you access it in TMG, and how would you like it to appear in reports?

 

Putting the details in the CD means that information will appear in the footnotes in your reports. Is that what you want to happen? Do you cite the same census more than once, say for name, birth, relationship, occupation, residence, and census tags? If so, I'd not think you want it all to appear each time.

 

My method of recording census data is described in my Census Article. Basically, I enter the Census as a Source, but do not record anyplace the entire details from the census record. I keep a copy of the census image for that, outside of TMG. I cite the source for each tag that it provides information for, recording in the CD what it says if it's different in any way from what I record in the tag (say when I record a birth date estimated from an age, or when the name is recorded differently than from other sources). Then, I create a Census Tag, in which I record the family makeup, location, and any data of interest that doesn't go in other tags.

 

Others use different systems. The important thing is to decide what you want, then use a system that accomplishes that.

[Jim Byram 0]

I posted the topic for two reasons, to hear what processes others use and although TMG is worldwide [and rightly so as I believe it is the best] I thought it would be nice to make contact with more lister's from the UK.

The answer to that is to take advantage of the UK users mail list.

http://www.whollygenes.com/forums201/index.php?showtopic=87