If the "version" of a document or record you are looking at is typed, ask yourself if the original was probably typed as well. If it was, then you are not looking at the original record and what you are looking at could contain errors. If you don't know was typed or handwritten, then learning more about the records will help you in your analysis.
And even if the original was typed, you could still be looking at a transcription that could contain errors.
"If it was, then you are not looking at the original record..."
ReplyDeleteYou mean, if it *wasn't* typed.
Good point though!
Yes I do, kim elizabeth...thanks for pointing that out.
ReplyDeleteTyped originals can also be a problem. In the yearly years, typists had a hard time getting the info on the line. They typed over preprinted words making it almost impossile to decipher the entry.
ReplyDelete