This is a little worrying.
At least from an academic point of view, I guess that the
transcripts are well within the margin of error considered
acceptable for vast majority of statisical purposes. I know
from experience just how inaccurate data input can be. I
was told about a large scale longitudinal questionnaire
study in which about 20 respondents changed their sex
between questionnaires.
I guess that from a family history point of view the
mistakes are more of a problem.
On Sun, 28 Jan 2001 20:27:26 -0000 Peter Park
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
# David,
#
# > This is a bit disturbing and one wonder's just how accurate the Mormon
# > transcription is, if someone as famous as Marx was not recognised.
#
# Two problems here - the abiltity of the original transcription by the volunteers
# whose work was suposed to have been checked - but often wasn't (particularly for
# Lancashire where they were up against the last deadline for the project).
#
# The checked transcripts were in m/s. This was then input on the computer in
# Utah.
#
# Family historians have been finding mistakes ever since it was published, but
# not all the mistakes are down to the transcription process. I have found - or
# failed to find - entire streets, either on the LDS CD-ROM/fiche or on the films
# of the originals. The census beauraucracy had missed them.
#
# On the fiche version there are people who appear in one section (say by county),
# but not in another (say birthplace) - haven't got examples to hand.
#
# Regards,
#
# Peter.
-------------------------------
Dr David Alan Gatley
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Staffordshire University
College Road
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 2XW
Phone: 01782-294780 (Office)
01782-415340 (Home)
Fax 01782-294760
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