My NarrativeChildren Tag

There are some truly wonderful ideas in the Wholly Genes Forum post, "NarrativeChildren sentences." I am a minimalist when it comes to roles, however. I'm glad roles exist, but I seldom go out of my way to create beautifully convoluted sentences using them. I use only a few NarrativeChildren sentences, and I could easily get by with only one of the options I've created. So far, I haven't encountered any real problems with these sentences. That doesn't mean problems won't arise in the future, and if you see any problems, please let me know.

NarrativeChildren Tag Type Definition: Roles and Sentences tab

Corresponding NarrativeChildren tag

My most frequently used NarrativeChildren sentence is shown above. [M1] is the Child Intro line used if the primary father belongs to the line being followed. [M2] is the Child Intro line that appears if the primary mother belongs to the line being followed. The yellow highlighted area shows the other sentences that I use relatively often.

NarrativeChildren Tag Type Definition: Reminder

I use the Tag Type Definition's Reminder area for sentence examples, all of them taken from Joan Ferris Curran, Mailyn Coen Crane and John H. Wray, Numbering Your Genealogy: Basic Systems, Complex Families, and International Kin (Arlington: National Genealogical Society, rev. 2008). This area also reminds me that the superscript generation indicator must be added in the report's final edit.

NarrativeChildren Tag Help Screen

Don't forget TMG's Help file! Note the two special codes defined here: [:NONE:], which suppresses the Child Intro line, and [:NoBirthPlaces:], which suppresses each child's place of birth in the child list. These can be included in the Memo field, thus eliminating the need for a couple of my defined sentences.

Conclusion

If it weren't for the fact that the superscript generation indicator is not generated in a report when one overrides TMG's standard Child Intro line with the ChildNarrative tag, I would probably use it all the time. It allows more clarity, precision, and variety than the standard line. If you're interested in the few sentences I do use, please feel free to contact me.

Using the NarrativeChildren Tag

"How do you make changes in the journal report's Child Intro line?" (a.k.a. the "Children of" statement) There are many situations in which TMG's basic standard Child Intro line, "The children of John2 Smith and Mary Jones were as follows:" or its standard variations, doesn't work. Among the most frequently encountered problems:

• You want to use the preferred standard format: "The children of John2 and Mary (Jones) Smith were as follows:"
• You want to vary things a little: "The only child of John2 and Mary (Jones) Smith was:"
• You want to qualify the list:
• "The children of John2 and Mary (Jones) Smith have not been determined."
• "John2 and Mary (Jones) Smith were the parents of seven children; only the following four have been identified:"
• "The known children of John2 Smith and Mary Jones, ordered according to John's will, were as follows:"
• You're dealing with a single parent and the phrase, "and an unknown spouse," is actually very wrong: "The child of Mary2 Jones (father unknown) was:"
• You're dealing with an adoption:
• "The adopted child of John2 and Mary (Jones) Smith (said child's biological parents unknown) was:"
• "Adopted children of John2 Smith (said children born to his wife Mary Jones by her first husband, Thomas1 Brown) were as follows:"
• You want to include stepchildren raised in the family: "The stepchild of John2 Smith, child of his wife Mary Jones by her first husband, Thomas1 Brown, was:"

The solution is TMG's NarrativeChildren tag. Two online pages discuss the use of this tag. Study both, as each provides more information than this blog.

• Terry Reigel's topic, "Customizing the 'Children of' Statement" 
• 2008 post on the Wholly Genes Forum

Begin with Terry's page. His discussion of TMG's standard "Children of" statement, with its programmed variations, is very important. If you don't understand what is built into TMG's report-writing, you won't know what customizations you need to create.

Terry's discussion of the NarrativeChildren and its possible roles is more basic than that found in the WhollyGenes Forum post. The latter has some wonderful - and complex - examples. Although the example shown below was created with different NarrativeChildren roles, my preferred customization of the NarrativeChildren tag is much simpler - and is illustrated in the next post.

Pre-edit Journal report showing improved Child Intro lines

Since the NarrativeChildren tag is so versatile, why not use it all the time? Are there any problems? Yes, there are a few. You will need to decide for yourself, whether or not, and how, to use this tag.

1. No superscript generation indicator is generated with the NarrativeChildren tag. This means that indicator needs to be added during the final edit.
2. There is no way to create appropriate NarrativeChildren tags when the same couple has both biological children and adopted children and/or stepchildren.
3. Things can get very confusing if you try to create NarrativeChildren tag roles for both the biological parents and the step/adoptive parent combinations for the same child.

Including Adopted Children in a Report

This is one of the questions that came up during the December meeting. "How do you include adopted children in a report?" (or substitute "step-children" or "foster children")

The ramifications of including adopted/stepchildren in a report are very interesting, but the "how" is not difficult. From the child's person screen, make the link between the child and the adoptive/step/foster parent primary. Highlight the tag; then, click the asterisk on the toolbar, or click the asterisk on your keyboard (shift-8), or select Edit > Toggle Primary.

Although this does allow one to include children other than biological children in a report, be warned that the result does not match genealogical standards for compiled genealogies. For  a discussion of the proper arrangement and numbering of biological, adopted, and stepchildren, see Joan Ferris Curran, Mailyn Coen Crane and John H. Wray, Numbering Your Genealogy: Basic Systems, Complex Families, and International Kin (Arlington: National Genealogical Society, rev. 2008), 17-25.

An unedited example shows a few of the problems encountered, if the user doesn't plan for them during the data entry.

This report has minor problems that one can live with, but there are two big problems that must be fixed.

1. Arthur Gifford married Isabelle Amelia Carpenter first, but the family group containing his biological daughter is listed second. Why? Evidently, the order of families in a Journal report (and in a family group sheet report) is determined by birth dates of the children, not by the date the parents' union occurred. The proper order of families is: 1) biological children in chronological order (but don't ask me about legitimate vs. illegitimate); 2) adopted children in chronological order, or the order they entered the family - but be consistent; and 3) stepchildren. Fix: Adjust the sort order of the respective children's birth dates, if that doesn't create further problems.
2. There is no differentiation between his biological daughter, Lorene Gifford, and his stepdaughter, Evelyn Chubbock. The database does differentiate, but that differentiation doesn't appear in the report - and that could lead to big problems when this report is disseminated. Fix: Rewrite the Child Intro line (a.k.a. "Children of" statement). This can be done by editing every report, or one can use the ChildrenNarrative tag. That is the subject of the next post. :-)

Changing the TMG 9 Desktop Shortcut Icon

The same desktop shortcut icon is used for both TMG 8 and TMG 9. For those of you who keep a copy of both versions running, this can be a little confusing. It's not a big issue, and there are several ways to avoid the confusion.

1. Uninstall TMG 8. :-)
2. Hover over the icon long enough for the tool tips window to appear, so you can verify to which TMG version the shortcut refers.
3. Replace the shortcut icon with a different one. Note that this does not change any other TMG icon.

If you want to change the TMG 9 shortcut icon, you will first need a replacement icon. Here are some possibilities. Note that the file locations given here are those from my computer. Yours may be different. You may also need to change your computer's folder options to access these icons.

1. Search your computer for files of this name: tmg*.ico. I had copies of the icons for TMG 2, TMG 5, and TMG 7. They were located in various folders, but all of them were together in this folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\The Master Genealogist v9\graphics.
2. If you like one of these icons, note its file location and follow the step-by-step instructions below.

If you don't find an icon you like, create your own. I experimented with several designs and color combinations. For myself, I settled on this design - and I can change the color, if I feel like something different. (I'm currently using the green version.) You can download and use one or all of these icons.

• Green icon
• Blue icon
• Red icon
• Gold icon

Each of these links should open the icon image. Right-click on the image and save the file to a convenient location on your computer. Then, follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Step-by-step instructions for changing a shortcut icon

1. Right-click on the shortcut icon on your desktop.
2. Select Properties (at the bottom of the pop-up window)
3. This should open a dialogue box with the Shortcut tab open
4. Select Change Icon ...
5. Browse to the folder in which you have the desired icon.
6. Select your icon and click Open
7. Click OK
8. Click OK.
9. You may need to give administrator permission.
10. Voila! You have a new - and unique - shortcut icon to TMG 9.

My "Family Legend" Story - Finally!

It seems to have taken me forever to write what should have been a simple article: the story of our family's purported relationship to James Fenimore Cooper; but writing assignments are never easy for me. Here it is, at long last: "We're Related to James Fenimore Cooper - Or So I've Been Told."

This article differs from most of the ones I've written this year. First, some of it is written in the first person. When it comes to family legends, we're not simply researchers; we're participants. Despite the presence of source citations, it's also written more for my family than for fellow researchers. Therefore, the citations have morphed from footnotes to endnotes.

There is a genealogical summary which began with TMG's "Point to Point" journal report, a report that focuses on the direct line. Did this report come with TMG, or did I create it? I honestly don't remember. Various style considerations are a combination of NGSQ and Register styles, a style that I find a little easier to produce than something a little more strict.

Revisiting this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

This is what we tried to do this year. I had fun with these assignments, and I hope everyone else did, too. Did you achieve your goals?

December's Agenda.

• Wholly Genes officially closes its doors on December 31st. Before that happens, we all need to make sure that we're prepared to keep TMG running for as long as we want. Before you leave, we'll make sure that everyone has the most recent installer for their favorite TMG version, a handy copy of their registration information, a backup of their database, and a better understanding of how to restore that database and the TMG program.
• We'll review all the tech support options open to us. There may be more help out there than you realize.
• We'll finish the year with our annual data entry party. Bring your database, recent research reports and documents, and lots of questions. Brainstorming with the group is a great way to solve a problem or pick up some new techniques.

An Estate Administration's Story - My Assignment

It's fortunate that our meeting was postponed, because I wouldn't have finished my assignment in time. Here it is: "Clues in the 1725 Estate File of Nathaniel Ball of Concord, Massachusetts." I learned a great deal from my study of this estate file! With the exception of the abbreviated genealogical summary, this was written without TMG's help - except the formulation of the footnotes; my sources had all been entered in TMG before I began work on the article. This is not one of Mark's beautiful narratives, but readers may still learn quite a bit from it.

Here are my answers to this month's questions:

• Did you choose a will recorded in the county will book? No.
• Did you choose one of the loose papers from an estate file? Yes.
• What source type template would you use to cite this record?
• It is something called "Local Record (digital image unindexed)." It's probably a cross between "TVTMG Town/County Files-Basic" and "TVTMG Town/County Registers-Basic (Online FS)."
• Is this an original record or a derivative record? Original records.
• Did you transcribe the information found in the record?
• Yes, but I didn't enter those transcriptions in TMG. I linked the Word file to the subject person as an exhibit.
• Did you choose to abstract the information?
• Some of it was abstracted and entered in TMG to appear in my "Notes Summary" report.
• Did you create a custom tag for this record?
• The information was put in my Estate-ADM tag, my Estate-SETT tag, and my Document tag.
• List all the people named in the estate. AARRGGHH!
• Can you identify them all? Yes.
• Did you add all of them to your TMG database? Why, or why not? Yes. They're all connected - as family, neighbor, or associate - to the subject.
• What law, or laws, governed the creation of your chosen record?
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts, The Acts and Resolves, Public and Private, of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, 21 vols. (Boston: Wright & Potter, 1874), 1: 43-45, Chap. 14, “An act for the setling and distribution of the estates of intestates” [passed 1 November 1692]; digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/actsresolvespubl_d01mass : accessed 1 October 2014).

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

An Estate Administration's Story

As a class, estate administrations may be one of the best sources for linking members of a family. These records aren't just limited to wills, but include all the papers created when an estate is transferred from the deceased to his or her heirs. Pick an estate administration and work on this assignment.

• Did you choose a will recorded in the county will book?
• What source type template would you use to cite this record?
• Is this an original record or a derivative record?
• Did you choose one of the loose papers from an estate file?
• What source type template would you use to cite this record?
• Is this an original record or a derivative record?
• Did you transcribe the information found in the record?
• If so, how did you enter that transcription in TMG?
• Do you visualize a report in which this transcription would be printed?
• Did you choose to abstract the information?
• Provide a screen shot of the tag, or tags, in which the information appears.
• How do you expect this information to appear in a report?
• Did you create a custom tag for this record?
• If so, provide a screen shot of that tag.
• What are the custom sentences you created for this tag?
• List all the people named in the estate.
• Can you identify them all?
• Did you add all of them to your TMG database? Why, or why not?
• What law, or laws, governed the creation of your chosen record?
• If you don't understand how and why a record was created, your interpretation of that record may be incorrect. The answer to this question is more important than you might think.
• Finally, write a narrative deriving from this record.
• Remember, this narrative doesn't need to be long - just a paragraph or two is fine.

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

Thoughts on Software Mortality

• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

Why do I use The Master Genealogist? Because it's the only genealogy software program I know that doesn't get in my way. I began using TMG in the days before it made its public appearance. I experimented with it; I pushed and pulled it; I broke it - and Bob Velke repaired it and delivered it to my door the next day. Despite my love and loyalty, I knew that TMG wasn't perfect. It couldn't do everything the way I wanted, so my suite of frequently used genealogy software tools expanded over the years to include DeedMapper, Second Site, Word, and Excel, but my TMG coordinated and interacted with all of them. Note that I said, "my TMG." The program I call TMG isn't the same one used by anyone else, and in that statement lies its beauty. TMG is not, never was, and now never will be perfect, but it's still perfect for me. When Bob Velke issued his 29 July statement that TMG would be discontinued at the end of this year, I knew that I would continue to use it - at least until its equal in power and flexibility appears. I won't spend time moving my database to a program that will only get in my way.

The Tri-Valley TMG User Group's number one goal is helping our members become better researchers. I'm sure many of you plan to stay with TMG, at least for the near future, but - stay or transfer to another program - we will all have plans to make. Although I hope to continue our planned program series, I suspect that most members will want to discuss their own concerns, ideas, and plans at our next meeting. Be prepared to answer this question: "What genealogical software feature(s) can I not live without?"

Update: Read Terry Reigel's great article, "The Future for TMG Users."

A Newcomer's Story: Start with a Passenger List

NOTE: The TV-TMG User Group is taking a vacation in July -

No meeting until August!

Our August topic begins with a passenger list or naturalization record. Most of us have at least one in our family history; but, depending on the time period in which our families entered North America (or England, or Australia, etc., etc.), these records vary in content and availability. The following assignment questions deal with immigration into what is now the United States. Modify them as appropriate if your record of choice deals with immigration into another country.

• Cite your source.
• Did you use one of the TVTMG passenger list source type templates?
• If so, what problems did you encounter?
• If not, what template did you use - and why?
• Did you transcribe the information found in the record?
• If so, how did you enter that transcription in TMG?
• Do you visualize a report in which this transcription would be printed?
• Did you choose to abstract the information?
• Provide a screen shot of the tag, or tags, in which the information appears.
• How do you expect this information to appear in a report?
• Did you create a custom tag for this record?
• If so, provide a screen shot of that tag.
• What are the custom sentences you created for this tag?
• What law, or laws, governed the creation of your chosen record?
• If you don't understand how and why a record was created, your interpretation of that record may be incorrect. The answer to this question is more important than you might think.
• Finally, write a narrative deriving from this record.
• Remember, this narrative doesn't need to be long - just a paragraph or two is fine.

If your ancestors all crossed the Bering land bridge thousands of years ago, please contact me for an alternate assignment. There are no border-crossing records from that time period. :-)

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

A Puzzle for Readers

Ever since I discovered that there was more to genealogy research than simply entering names, dates, places - and source citations - in a database, I have puzzled over how to track those background references I read, but never used in any TMG events citations. I would (usually) enter them in the TMG database, but how would I find them if I needed them for another project? How could I easily create a bibliography of all the sources used in researching a person, whether cited in TMG, cited in an article, or used only for background understanding? I came up with two possibilities, and I've used both, but I'm not sure if I'm completely satisfied with either. Do you have other ideas?

Individual Detail screen overlaid with Tag Entry screen

• The first solution adds a non-printing note tag used simply to attach all background references, etc. to the person being studied. Note that this example also has two Research tags used to track references in which no relevant information was found, as well as those in which the information required a lot of analysis before it could be handled in TMG. This is a fine solution for one person, but it still made some of the background references difficult to find when needed for another person.

Source Definition screen - Supplemental tab

• In the second solution, I designated Memo3 in the Source Definition's supplemental tab for keywords. Some keywords I've used include: War of 1812, privateers, Growler, Navy, pensions, spotted fever, postpartum depression, final payment, and federal land laws. This way, if I have a question about pension laws, for example, I can search for any background reference in my TMG database with the keyword pensions.

I can combine solutions one and two, and may decide to do so, but even then, creating a bibliography is not automatic. Take a look at these two bibliography possibilities from my June assignment.

• This screen shows the "List of Sources" report associated with the Growler events entered in my TMG database. Ho, hum.

• This screen shows the bibliography created when I combined all sources associated with my Growler "person" and all sources with "privateer" in my source keyword field. Those highlighted in blue were used only as background references. They were not cited in TMG, nor were they cited in the report I wrote for the June assignment. It's a much more complete bibliography!

It's not totally complete, though. Several other sources were used to write my article, but those sources didn't have keywords in my database, and they weren't listed as citations for my Growler person. Oh, well. Nothing's perfect. New ideas are always appreciated!

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

Reviewing Exhibits

At our May meeting, we reviewed TMG's Exhibits feature, discussing various pros and cons, as well as the procedure of attaching exhibits to a person, an event, or a citation. Several members asked for a review of the procedure. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I would like to refer everyone to Terry Reigel's article on TMG and exhibits.

• Basics of Using Exhibits

This article was posted on 28 May 2014, so it's very up-to-date. For those of you most interested in the process, go to the section titled "Creating Exhibits."

Internal exhibit or external exhibits? That question always comes up in any TMG exhibits discussion. Terry discusses that in the section titled "Where to Store the Files."

In general, I agree with most of Terry's thoughts on TMG exhibits. I do differ in one point, however. All my exhibits, regardless of file type, are stored externally, and I can easily find them in my file tree. Still, I do link many of them, including research reports and other files that will not be included in any TMG report, to the relevant people in my TMG database. I find that a convenient way to track all exhibits, regardless of type, that are associated with a person, a source, or a repository. Note also that I seldom include exhibits in my TMG reports. I prefer to add them manually, if desired. The only exceptions are family group sheets, pedigree charts, and VCF reports, but since those reports only include the primary person image, they're simple to create.

How do I name my files and set up my exhibit file tree? I've been adding exhibits to TMG since the old DOS days when file names were limited in length to the 8.3 format, so I wouldn't look too closely at the way my early files were named. Still, I can find files easily with this hierarchy.

1. My TMG exhibit files are stored in the C: drive, since that means that the exhibit location is consistent from computer to computer - and because that was the only option when I began using TMG.
2. All the exhibits are stored in a folder called "tmg_images". I probably should have named this "TMG_Exhibits," but when I named it, I was only saving images.
3. My "tmg_images" folder is subdivided according to major record types. Photographs of people are put in one of four folders named with the surnames of my children's four grandparents. The "documents" subfolder is heavily divided again, and includes a subfolder for all research reports.
4. The "tombstones" subfolder is divided into folders for individual cemeteries. I should have called this folder "Cemeteries," but I didn't. You are looking at thumbnails of files included in the folder "beckley_20130612." The number is the date I visited the cemetery and photographed the grave markers.
5. Not all files are image files. This is an Excel file that includes each tombstone's information. This is linked as an Other exhibit to the cemetery's Source Definition screen. That way, I have quick and easy access to a file listing all the relevant burials and photographs I have from that cemetery. This spreadsheet does not print in any TMG report.

Source Definition screen overlaid with linked Exhibits

Reminder!

There is no one right way to do something in TMG. Use Terry's and my ideas as suggestions only. Our ideas may not work for you, but they may spark something better in your mind.

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

My June Assignment: Latitude and Longitude

I don't usually enter anything in TMG's Latitude/Longitude tag, but when describing a ship's location, that's the only relevant field. The published extracts from the Growler's log contain four dates in which her latitude and longitude is given. When I started to enter that information, I discovered - or rediscovered - that TMG does not see latitude and longitude as degree-minutes-seconds-compass values; TMG sees it as decimal values. Here are some visual pointers when entering latitude and longitude.

Tag Entry screen overlaid with TMG Help file

Individual Detail screen overlaid with Place preference window

My new favorite toy, BatchGeo, allowed me to map the Growler's location at various times on this first voyage. You will need to zoom out to see the various points.

Do you use the Latitude/Longitude place field? This is the first time I've used it in an Individual Detail screen, but I do enter it for cemeteries in the Master Place list. I've discovered that it's much easier to find a cemetery when my GPS has the cemetery's latitude and longitude!

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

My June Assignment - with a Few TMG Screenshots

As most of you know, military records are my absolute favorite documents. The Civil War is probably my favorite period, but the War of 1812 is now running a close second. I adopted a privateer from that war a couple of years ago, thinking I might want to do some more in-depth research on it, and this month's assignment is my start on that project: "The First Voyage of the Schooner Growler: Salem Privateer in the War of 1812." Here are my answers to this month's questions.

• Choose a military record that intrigues you. Here are a few examples: a draft registration or its associated documents; an affidavit from a pension application; an enlistment or discharge paper; a final payment; a medical record; a military tombstone application. This is just a tiny fraction of the possibilities in the world of military records.
• Enter the information derived from the record in your TMG database.
• Did you abstract or transcribe the document? Both. I transcribed the information in the two Document tags; I extracted or abstracted information in the two types of Event tags; and the Comment tag is used for my own narrative.

Individual Detail Screen

• Did you add a scanned image of the document as an exhibit? Yes, I attached scanned images of the focus document to the tag that includes its transcription in the Memo.

Tag Screen with Exhibit Screen

• Did you need to create a custom tag? No, although some of the ones I used are custom tags I created some time ago.

• Don't forget your source citation!
• What source type template did you use? I used a custom template called "National Archives Film/Fiche (Online)." We don't have anything exactly like it in our template book, but one could modify our NARA microfilm template by adding the online website information.
• Did you have any problems citing the source? No.

Source Definition Screen

• Write a narrative at least two paragraphs in length.
• In what type of article would your narrative be appropriate: family history, research report, or proof argument? This project, when I finish it, would be more appropriate for a journal article.

I learned something new (to me) while I was working on this. I'll add a separate post on that - and, since some of the members have asked for a review of the add-an-exhibit process, I'll add something on that process, too. Any questions? Comments?

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

June Assignment: Begin with a Military Record

I'm writing this post on Memorial Day weekend, so thinking about soldiers and sailors -- and the records of their service -- is part of my holiday tradition. If it's also part of your tradition, you've made a head start on our June assignment.

• Choose a military record that intrigues you. Here are a few examples: a draft registration or its associated documents; an affidavit from a pension application; an enlistment or discharge paper; a final payment; a medical record; a military tombstone application. This is just a tiny fraction of the possibilities in the world of military records.
• Enter the information derived from the record in your TMG database.
• Did you abstract or transcribe the document?
• Did you add a scanned image of the document as an exhibit?
• Did you need to create a custom tag?
• Don't forget your source citation!
• What source type template did you use?
• Did you have any problems citing the source?
• Write a narrative at least two paragraphs in length.
• In what type of article would your narrative be appropriate: family history, research report, or proof argument?

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

May Assignment: My Photograph and Narrative

I thought this assignment would be easy. After all, my love of genealogy began with a box of old photographs, and my early research focused on identifying the people in those photographs and learning more about them. However, it took me forever to choose my subject photograph, and it took me longer than forever to write the narrative! Mark submitted his assignment more than a week ago, and Danielle completed hers yesterday.

I finally figured out my problem, and here is my photograph and narrative, "Berton Isaac Staples: Vermont Merchant -- Indian Trader."

Come to the meeting prepared to enjoy some great stories. Bring your own stories, and be sure to bring a picture that you want to enter in your TMG database. We'll be covering the process, step-by-step.

Commentary on the Subject of Data Integrity

The subject of data integrity and TMG came up in private conversations a few times in the past month. I'm probably not alone in thinking that data integrity in a database is simply that database's ability to preserve all data in its correct place. Wikipedia has a more thorough explanation. This phrase from the article, combined with recent experiences with a website generated by Second Site, triggered one of the discussion topics we had at the April meeting.

"The overall intent of any data integrity technique is the same: ensure data is recorded exactly as intended ...  and upon later retrieval, ensure the data is the same as it was when it was originally recorded. In short, data integrity aims to prevent unintentional changes to information." [emphasis added]

Maintaining data integrity while allowing users to do almost anything they wish when inputting or reporting that data must be a very difficult balancing act, and it's one that I am very grateful Bob Velke and the TMG developers attempt. I really like doing things my way! Still, there is one TMG feature that has bothered me since its introduction: the sentence variable, Age ([A] or [AE]). This variable is used in the sentences in two tags in the Sample database: the Census tag and the Death tag. It seems like an innocuous feature, but I think it leads to a loss of data integrity. Consider this fictitious example.

• According to town records, a Jonathan Hornbuckle was born in Anytown on 12 September 1792.
• A Jonathan Hornbuckle was buried in Anytown Cemetery, and the date of death on his tombstone is 14 October 1869.
• You enter the birth and death dates in your TMG database and print a Journal report.
• You have not edited the TMG default sentence structure, which is, "[P] died <[D]> <[L]> <[A]>."

Here's the resulting sentence output: "Jonathan Hornbuckle died on 12 September 1792 at age 77." TMG has calculated the age at death by subtracting the date of birth from the date of death. What's the problem? In my fictitious example, the tombstone also said he was "in his 68th year." Something is wrong somewhere! Either a date is wrong, the age at death is wrong, or ... these records refer to two different Jonathan Hornbuckles. Conflicting information is often the inspiration for more thorough research and careful analysis. The use of this Age variable in a sentence disguises conflicts and ignores important information. It's an unintentional change to information. Someone unfamiliar with the Hornbuckle family, when reading this sentence, would have no clue that the age at death was calculated, not part of the information found in the source.

My subconscious aversion to the Age variable was brought to my conscious attention while studying a Second Site website on a family I've been researching. The website has a lot of good features, but the author did leave the Age variable in the TMG sentence structure. As a result, the fact that some of the individuals have been misidentified and some of the incorrect relationships have been obscured is not apparent. If the age at death as stated in the records had been included in the sentences, the conflicting information would be obvious.

My recommendation? Remove the Age variable from every sentence structure.

• Open the Tag Type List.
• Highlight the Death (or Census) tag.
• Click "Edit" to open the Tag Type Definition screen.
• Select the "Roles and Sentences" tab.
• Remove the <[A]> from any sentence structure that uses it.
• Click "OK."

Data integrity is not just a database requirement. It's a research requirement, too.

May Assignment: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

A picture is worth a thousand words. How many words will your chosen photograph create for you? For this month's assignment, choose a photograph from your records that speaks to you and write that story for us. The subject of the photograph can be anything you choose - a family member, a home, a car, a horse, a toy - anything. I haven't chosen my photograph, yet, but I'll post my narrative and my answers to these questions when I do.

• What information engendered by this photograph did you enter in your TMG database?
• Where was that information placed, and why?
• The "TVTMG Artifact (Privately owned) QCM 105" is the source type template that usually works for citing photographs. Is this the one you used? Did it fit your needs, or did you need to edit it?
• Link the photograph to your TMG database as an exhibit.

• As always, write a paragraph or two deriving from the information conveyed by the photograph and by the information you discovered as you studied that photograph.

If you're not sure how to create exhibits in TMG, you don't want to miss the May meeting! We'll go through the process step-by-step.

While you're working on this assignment, feel free to post questions and problems to this blog, or send them to Kay and me at: tvtmg.chair@l-ags.org. Bring the finished product with you to the May meeting. I'm looking forward to hearing a lot of new ideas!

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

April Assignment: Tombstone Tales

There are two bumper sticks that should be adorning my family cars. My husband's should say, "My wife's other car is a broom," and mine should say, "I brake for cemeteries." All genealogists love cemeteries, so this month's assignment should be easy. Among all those tombstones you've photographed or transcribed, there must be one or two that call to you, hinting at a deeper story. This is your opportunity to find and tell that story.

In addition to writing the narrative, here are some TMG points to consider when working with your census records:

• Create a Master Source List entry for this record, if you don't already have one. What source type template did you use? Did you have any difficulties with it?
• Do you transcribe the tombstone when entering the information in TMG?
1. Why or why not?
2. If you do, where do you enter it?
• Do you attach an image of the tombstone to the tag?
• Write a narrative paragraph about your subject that derives from the tombstone. You will probably need to do extra research to write this paragraph! Don't forget to cite all these additional sources.

Hats off to Danielle! She completed her assignment before I finished mine. Bravo!

I do have a brief article with screenshots showing my burial tag, sentence output (English) and sentence output (Notes), the Source Definition screen, and the Citation Detail screen. The narrative is a separate article, discussing the Elizabeth (Colburn) Ball grave marker. Be sure to look at the photograph on Find A Grave.

The tombstone I chose has two names inscribed on it. Several members have asked me how I handle this in TMG. I've experimented with several methods, but I don't think I'm in love with any of them. One of the earlier blog posts discusses a few ideas I've used. If you're interested in these methods, the post is titled, "Entering Information from Monuments."

While you're working on this assignment, feel free to post questions and problems to this blog, or send them to Kay and me at: tvtmg.chair@l-ags.org. Bring the finished product with you to the April meeting. I'm looking forward to hearing a lot of new ideas!

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

Recapping a Few Points from Our March Meeting

Census records discussions always bring up a lot of questions, thoughts, ideas, and considerations. By request, here is a recap of the major discussion points from the meeting.

• Two of us focused on the number of marriages entered in 1910 census households. In my example, the enumerator did not follow instructions. She entered the exact number of marriages for each married individual. In Mark's example, the census taker followed instructions. He entered "M1" if the person had been married only once; he entered "M2" if the person had been married more than once. Mark's subject had been married at least three times, but the census column contained "M2." Knowing the instructions for census enumerators is vital when interpreting census entries and explaining seeming discrepancies. Where does one find those instructions? A Google search will uncover several websites, but I use the U.S. Census Bureau's website for information.
• Bookmark its "History" section and take the time to explore.
• The section, "Through the Decades," contains the "Census Instructions."
• The Integrated Public Use Microdata Series is another great website when you need insight into a census. Instructions to enumerators can be found in the section, "Enumerator Forms," but be sure to look at the material in the section, "Published Census Volumes."
• If your genealogy research predates the Internet, you probably have many citations to microfilmed copies of census records. One of the members asked, "Is there any reason to look at census microfilm now with so many digital versions readily available?" Two reasons come to mind quickly.
• Digital versions vary in legibility. One may be clear, another impossible to read. Sometimes, that very clear digital image, in removing scratches and spots, may have removed information. If something in a census entry doesn't make sense, check the microfilm or another company's digital image.
• Ancestry and other companies separate census images, grouping towns - or what they determine as towns - together. The enumerator, though, may have continued one town's enumerations on another town's page. To determine who belongs where, or whether pages are missing or out of order, it's necessary to check the microfilm.
• Thanks to the Allen County Public Library, scanned images of the National Archives microfilm publications are available on Internet Archive. This link takes you to the section, "United States Census." Explore. It feels just like reading the microfilm! Of course, these aren't indexed, but that lack encourages you to actually read the pages.
• A knowledge of the law in effect at the relevant time and place is vital if you want to understand and analyze historical documents. Judy G. Russell's blog, The Legal Genealogist, is absolutely wonderful, whether you're a genealogy law expert or neophyte. I subscribe to it, so I get it in my emailbox every day.

I'm sure I've missed some important points, so email me and let me know what you would like to see. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Danielle, Mark and Duncan for your work on the March assignment. The starting point for our April assignment, "Tombstone Tales," is a tombstone. Surely we all have several tombstones that have piqued our interest! I'll post a more detailed assignment, as well as my own assignment, soon. In the meantime, start reviewing your favorite tombstones.

Our March Exercise: Starting with a Census Record

Have you ever run across a census entry that puzzled you? Have you found one that provided the clue you needed to identify an individual? Have you found one that supported a published family record - or contradicted it? Do you have a census entry that you don't understand? Any of these would make a fine "prompt" for this month's exercise. With a census entry as your starting point, write a narrative paragraph that gives your readers a picture of your subject's life.

Mark's narrative growing from a court notice in the Grand Traverse Herald was the hit of the February meeting. He did a beautiful job, demonstrating perfectly how one could start from a simple newspaper notice, identify the questions it created, research the answers to those questions, and tell the story he discovered.

In addition to writing the narrative, here are some TMG points to consider when working with your census records:

• Create a Master Source List entry for this record, if you don't already have one, and include a screen shot of the Output form. Are you a lumper or a splitter? This article, "The Great Census Debate," might give you some ideas, even though it was written long before TMG 8.x (or 9.x) came on the scene.
• Analyze the census entry.
1. Are you looking at the original census, a digital image, a transcription, or an abstract?
2. What census edition are you viewing? 
3. Did this census answer any questions?
• Do you transcribe or abstract a census?
1. Do you enter the census information in your database? Where?
2. How do you expect to use that information in reports?
3. Do you attach an image of each census record to the census tag?
4. Don't forget to cite each entry!
• What new questions did this record create, and what do you do with these questions?
1. Do you write them down?
2. Do you enter them in TMG?
3. Do you simply hope you'll remember them?
• Write a narrative paragraph about your subject that derives from this census record. You will probably need to do extra research to write this paragraph! Don't forget to cite all these additional sources.

I haven't chosen my census record, yet, but I'll post my assignment when I finish it. The race is on, everyone! Let me know when you complete yours. Who will be the first to finish?

Update: I'm being a little lazy this month, and I'm not planning to upload screen captures - although I might manage it before the March 15th meeting. I have managed to finish my narrative, though: "The Many Marriages of Benjamin Clark Pearman and Maria (Case) (Deatherage) (Fry) (Pearman) Randle." See if you can find my omissions.

While you're working on this assignment, feel free to post questions and problems to this blog, or send them to Kay and me at: tvtmg.chair@l-ags.org. Bring the finished product with you to the March meeting. I'm looking forward to hearing a lot of new ideas!

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.

February's Assignment: Start with an Obituary

This month, our "prompt" is an obituary (or other newspaper article). Creating an original narrative when your starting point is another narrative is not as easy as one might think. Don't let the article's wording force your own composition.

Lots of new ideas came up at our January meeting. Thank you all for your hard work and active participation! The presentations illustrated the many paths one simple death certificate can offer. A newspaper article provides even more possibilities. Will you write a narrative centering around your genealogical conclusions? Will you write a biographical narrative stemming from a statement in the article? Here is the first part of my example: an annotated transcription of the obituary I chose for this assignment. The annotations show my thoughts about the information in this record. The second part of my example, the narrative paragraph, will show the direction I took. Here are some action points for you.

• Create a Master Source List entry for this record, if you don't already have one, and include a screen shot of the Output form.
• Analyze the newspaper article.
1. Are you looking at the original article, a digital image, a transcription, or an abstract?
2. How valid is the information you found? Does it correlate with what you already know, or does it conflict?
3. What did you learn from the article and what did you infer?
4. Did it answer your question(s)?
• Do you transcribe or abstract the article?
1. What information did you enter in your database?
2. How do you expect to use that information?
3. Don't forget to cite each entry!
• What new questions did this record create, and what do you do with these questions?
1. Do you write them down?
2. Do you enter them in TMG?
3. Do you simply hope you'll remember them?
• Write a narrative paragraph about your subject that derives from this article. You will probably need to do extra research to write this paragraph! Don't forget to cite all these additional sources.

The obituary I chose for this assignment was even more interesting than I thought. My paragraph turned into several pages, so I broke the second part of my example into two parts. The first includes TMG screenshots and data entry discussion points. The second is my narrative paragraph example, "Guy Beckley: Anti-Slavery Crusader." Enjoy!

While you're working on this assignment, feel free to post questions and problems to this blog, or send them to Kay and me at: tvtmg.chair@l-ags.org. Bring the finished product with you to the February meeting. I'm looking forward to hearing a lot of new ideas!

Remember this year's goals.

• We want to develop the habit of analyzing each record we use, and not just enter each information bit without thinking about its meaning.
• We want to make conscious decisions on what data we want to enter into TMG, how we enter that data, and how we will use that data in our research.
• We want to develop the habit of writing research reports and real family histories, not just printing out pedigree charts and family group sheets.
• We want to make TMG fit our research needs and goals. We don't want to make our research practices fit TMG.