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Archiver > TMG > 2005-12 > 1134240563


From: "Michael J. Hannah" <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] LONG message on Research Tasks
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 11:49:38 -0700


Sorry to take so long to reply Laurie, but the "day job" does
seem to intrude. [Only two more years to retirement, sigh!]

Laurie Williams <> wrote Tue, 6 Dec 2005
> Michael, in trying to get my head around this concept and
> see how I could use it, I have a couple questions:
>
>On 12/2/05, Michael J. Hannah < > wrote:
>>
>> For example, I defined a "BirthFind" tag with a sentence of
>> "The [M1] in [L] needs to be searched for a birth record
>> for [OBJ]<, using details: [M2]>.< [M3]>"
>> I have a matching "BirthNil" tag with its sentence of
>> "A birth record for [OBJ] was not found< using details:
>> [M2]> in the [M1] in [L].< [M3]>"
>> The M3 part of the memos reflect why I think this source
>> is likely, and any other comments about this research task.
>
> What sort of details do you include in M2? From what I can tell:
> M1 = where to search, e.g. a birth index at a court house or
> something like that
> M2 = what details?
> M3 = why search here, e.g. the person was probably born there
> or something like that

Yep, that is how I use M1 and M3 in these tags, for example:
M1 = "birth register" for the county specified in [L]
M3 = "Not found where his parents lived in the next census,
so try here because his maternal grandparents lived here."
M2 I optionally use based on the source I am checking. For example,
if I am searching the census, I usually indicate the name they are
likely to have and their age so I don't have to recalculate it from
the birth date while standing at the Library. Anything that helps
that would not be clear, although note that the BMDB tags are
included in my special IN report so don't have to duplicate that
data in the Find tag.

> Do you include any date info?

The Find tag will have a date, and that date prints associated
with the linked Find tag in the List of Tasks report. If there
are other dates of interest, I would include them in M2.

> Do you print out your Nil task tags so you know not to check
> there again? It sounded like you only print the Find tags.

Yes and no <grin>. Only my Find tags should have incomplete
tasks linked to them, so they are the only tags that print in the
List of Tasks. My special List of Events report used to set my
custom FIND flag is filtered for only Find tags, so will only
print those tags. However, my special Individual Narrative
report filtered for people with the FIND tag set will print the
BMDB tags as well as BOTH all Find tags and all Nil tags.
As you note, while in the Library you want to clearly remind
yourself that you already looked somewhere so you don't waste
your time when you get the brilliant idea to look there again!

> Thanks for your help.

Happy to share ideas.

Michael

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