[6c]

FreeCEN Validation

Working VALDREV

Field Descriptions [4c]
Enumerator errors [7b]
Notes & Comments [7a]
GENIE Place Locator [9a]
Supp'y Place Names [6e]
Completed Work [7g]
.
"Back to Index"
VALDREV has been designed to scan a FreeCEN file, looking for, and pausing at, any record with potential problems.
Provided the Checker has performed reliably it is acceptable to move between records using [Next Alert] rather than to examine every record using [Next].

It will be realised that the field containing Transcriber Notes has now been renamed as "Database Notes".
The Validator may add, delete, or edit any comments in this field.
Any comment remaining in this field after Validation will be displayed on the Database.

Place of Birth

The FreeCEN standard has insisted that the County and Place of Birth must be as enumerated, even when this is known to be incorrect.
"Val'r Choice" allows a suggestion for what the birthplace should probably be; for example: if the Enumerator had written "KEN Brighton" the Validator would suggest "SSX Brighton" as probably being more correct
The Database Search will look for both possibilities in order to find a match to a searcher's input.

Note that some placenames can occur in several counties (e.g. "Stoke"). The Validator may deem it better to offer "UNK Stoke" as "Val'r Choice".
Note that Birthplace must always comprise a County Code and a placename (or hyphen/dash).

Born Place not found ...
Valdrev gives an "Alert" for any placename not found on the GENIE Place Locator which is contained in the programme. Because the GENIE list is not comprehensive this can cause pausing where there is no error!
VALDREV has provision for a custom-created Supplementary List of placenames, which will also be scanned before raising an "Alert". The Validator can add any appropriate County and Placename to the Supplementary List.

For example: a common enumeration simply records "born Ireland" which should have been transcribed as "IRL -" which does not feature in the GENIE list, but which may be safely [Add to Supplementary] so that future findings of "IRL -" do not cause an alert.
There will be many small village names (and some not-so-small places) which can usefully be added to the Supplementary List, although "Alerted" placenames which do not occur very often will hardly justify being added.

Incorrectly spelt (as enumerated) placenames must never be added to the Supp. List - otherwise they will never be challenged by VALDREV.
There is no automatic method of correcting such mis-spellings; each entry must be corrected manually.
Hint: Enter the correct County code and the first few letters of the correct placename. Check whether the full entry can then be selected from the GENIE or Supplementary Lists. (You may find it quicker to type the full entry!)

Supplementary Lists may be transferred between Pieces, or even shared among Validators.
See [6e] for details of what is involved.

Back-Up OFTEN

Take Back-Up copies of your work regularly - and certainly at the close of each work session
One can never foretell when an electrical supply problem may affect your computer, or when a hard drive may become defective!
Adequate Back-Up procedures are your only insurance against the loss of hard-won effort..

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Sep 2003