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Archiver > TMG > 2000-01 > 0946854444


From: bob gillis <>
Subject: Re: TMG-L: Source Surety Values
Date: Sun, 02 Jan 2000 18:07:24 -0500


Connie Sheets wrote:
>
> As a relatively experienced genealogical researcher, new to TMG (and still
> trying to decide whether I will completely abandon a large database in BK
> for TMG), with a bias that the best genealogical report is produced with a
> word processor, I'd like to request a discussion of the surety codes.
>
I assume you mean you are going to transfer your data base to TMG and
give up BK, not re-enter all your data. You can transfer your data,
either directly or via GEDCOM.

> How do you use them?
>
One of the features of TMG that started me using it was sureties. I
generally enter the surety for each tag and citation I add. If I have a
date from several sources, I use the surety to tell me where the parts
of the date came from. The same for places.

The time needed to enter sureties is minimal. If you are importing a
large data base, then I would enter sureties as you enter new
information or edit an existing tag.

> What practical benefits do they give you?
>
An example. If you have two or more birthdates from several sources,
you can record all the variations but print in a report only the valid
one by using surety thresholds.

Many people who will read your reports or charts will not be interested
in the why and wherefores of the errroneous inforamtion. The surety
levels can give them the good information while you ahve a record of the
erroneous.

snip

> I have discovered on many occasions that sources
> which "should" be accurate are not, whereas those which "should" be less
> accurate are closer to the truth. These discoveries come from finding and
> analyzing all available sources and looking at the big picture, usually not
> from any one piece of data from any single source that I might label a "3" surety.>

Yes sureties are subjective but give you an easy way to weigh your
citations. You can change the surety of a citation as you get new
information.

> The only one that makes much sense to me is the negative value, but even
> then I think I'd be more likely to explain in a Note/Memo why I know the
> info is erroneous.
>
But do you want the erroeous inforamtion print in every report you make?

bob gillis

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