* Source led data entry?

[E Wilcock]

Please could someone explain Source led data entry?

I use fh for historical research which has involved transcribing the names from lists, e.g. army lists and deportations.

In fh 6 I used to paste the source, e,g, a University staff list, into the automatic source panel and then add an unrelated person to type in the Names and dates of birth if any. Then copy and paste the Education or Emigration event. Before moving on to the next person on the list.

Could someone please explain how to do this in Source led data entry in fh7 ?

Or am I already doing this when copying the names on any source list?

[LornaCraig]

Evelyn, you are in effect already doing things that way. You are starting with a source and then extracting all possible information from it. Some people have a habit of creating a fact and then adding a source for it afterwards. This often means that they overlook a lot of other information in the source. To tak a simple example, if you add a marriage and afterwards create a source for the marriage certificate you might overlook the other information like fathers' names and occupations, residences of bride and groom, ages of bride and groom....

V7 encourages the user to start by creating a source record and gleaning all possible facts from it. The Data Entry Assistants are intended to help by automatically creating some of those facts from the information you record about the source. But it's not necessary to use them if you find them confusing, it can all be done manually. They do a similar job to the Ancestral Sources program, and many users prefer to stick with AS which they are familiar with. With the type of source you are using it is unlikely that either AS or the Data entry Assistants would help, and using the Automatic Source Citation pane is probably the easiest way. So just stick to the method you are familiar with.

[E Wilcock]

Thank you Lorna.
Can one design a data entry form of one's own by adding fields? I seem to remember you doing that once?

[LornaCraig]

The Data Entry Assistants are plugins designed to work with specific types of source. New ones can be created but I don't write plugins so I can't help you there. If you wanted to keep a 'text from source' transcription attached to each citation it would be possible to create an autotext template to help with that, but from what you have described you are not keeping a separate transcription of each person's entry and there wouldn't be much need to if the lists are clearly legible. It sounds as if you are using an efficient method to cite the same source against numerous indidviduals and their facts.

[brown-colinmansell]

My first posting!

Is there a video available to show me how to use Source and Source Citations in the new FH 7 that I've upgraded to. it? I find it very confusing, for instance, to know how to enter a Census Return for the Head of a household with all the age, occupation etc details, and following, list the remainder of the household as well on this chart as well. I was hoping then, to be able to refer everyone listed on this one return, for each of the remaining household members. I presume I can do this, because I have seen somewhere/somehow, a blank chart for such on the system. I just cannot find it now. Help would be appreciated!

[ColeValleyGirl]

Have a look at Ancestral Sources.

[brown-colinmansell]

Dear ColeValleyGirl,
Thank you for suggesting me to look at Ancestral Sources. This to help my quest me make it easier to have just one Census Return Source for a complete family. I've download the AS Census Return now on to my FH 7 , but it just baffles me. I can't find tutorial vidoe at all to me nderstand how to initially set up the plug in for Census Returns in the first place. I cannot input the data from the census transcription until I have somehow, produced the form or columns to type into. Can you suggest anything further to help me please?

[ColeValleyGirl]

I suggest you ask at https://fhug.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=34 where the author Nick Walker is likely to answer. (I don't use AS much so can't help).

[NickWalker]

Sometimes there is some confusion because there is a plugin for Ancestral Sources but that's just a method of running the actual Ancestral Sources application from within Family Historian and isn't actually required (although you may find it useful once you're using AS).

So you first need to install Ancestral Sources as explained here: https://fhug.org.uk/kb/link/ancestral-sources/

Then when you run it click on the Yellow 'Open Project' button (first button on the toolbar) and open up your project (maybe try with the Sample Project while you're trying it out).

Select a Census Region (e.g. England) and a Year (e.g. 1881). Enter in a Place, Address, Select your individuals. Click Auto at the bottom of the screen to get a source text transcription of the data you enter into the grid, etc. Have a look at the Help menu -> Getting Started. Ultimatately once you save the entry you'll see various facts, source, etc. have been added to your project when you open it in FH.

If you have any additional questions as you're trying it out, do ask in the AS forum. As with most computer related things, its getting started that's difficult but I do think you'll find AS is worth persevering with - the hundreds of AS users can't be wrong! I do intend to do some getting started tutorials when I get a chance. There are some existing video tutorials in the knowledge base that Mike Tate created a few years ago but they refer to an older version.