Tools: Merging Duplicate Records

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Recording family history can be fun and frustrating at the same time.  We have been blessed with great programs and electronic tools that make it much easier today than in past years, but with that, there is a greater possibility of getting false information as well.  How do we sort it all out?

One method is “Knee Mail”.  When in doubt, ask Heavenly Father for help.  He will guide you. 

This week we are going to begin discussing the section on the right side of our family member’s page on FamilySearch entitled “Tools”.   These tools are wonderful helps in our sorting out the information to ensure what we have is accurate. 

The first tool is “Possible Duplicates”.  You may have noticed at the top under Research Helps a warning symbol that showed you have possible duplicates on your family member.  You can access the information from this warning or go to Tools and access it with the link on Possible Duplicates.  Here is what you will see:

                The Family Member’s data

                Two links – Research Helps and Dismissed Helps

Dismissed helps will show you the information you or someone else has already dismissed and why.  If you do not agree with dismissing that information and feel it was done in error, you can click on “Undo”.

Research Helps shows the links to those research helps not addressed yet such as Missing Child, Possible Duplicates, etc. 

When trying to clear a possible duplicate, click on Review Merge. 

Step 1 of 3 will appear:  The possible duplicate info will appear on the left side of the page and the “surviving person” with your information will appear on the right side of the page.  Review the differences carefully!    After reviewing this info, you have will have three (3) choices at the bottom of the page – “Back”, “Not a Match” and “Yes, Continue”.

Choose “Back” if you are uncertain.  Do more research. You can come back to this page later when you have more information and/or sources to back up your decision.

Choose “Not A Match” if you are positive it is not a match to your family member.  List your reason for dismissing this information in the box provided.

If you choose, “Yes Continue” you will be taken to the next step in the merge.

Step 2 of 3: Select the information you want to save.   If you feel that some (or all) of the information listed under the Possible Duplicate column is correct, you can click on the Replace link and FamilySearch will add it to your Surviving Person.  If you feel all of the information is more correct than what you have you can click on “Switch” at the top of the Possible Duplicate column and FamilySearch will move your info to the left and the possible duplicate will become the “surviving person”. 

When satisfied your surviving person is correct, click on “Continue”.

Step 3 of 3: Confirm your changes and finalize the merge.  List your reason that this is the same person and click on “Finish Merge”. 

If, at some later date, you find the merge was not correct (even is someone else did it), you can change it.  Just go to Latest Changes, select the link for the merge and click on “Unmerge”.  You then have the option of going through the steps listed above to correct it, or just leave it for another time. 

FamilySearch has made it simple to add and change information.  Sometimes as we are reviewing the information, we become anxious that we are making a mistake when changing info or merging records.  Remember:  It can always be undone.  However, this is frustrating when you know your info is correct and someone else changes it. (We will address that in a future post. Thank goodness we have the millennium to get it all perfect!  Right?)

Let us know if you have questions regarding merging. We are here to help you along the family history road to connecting our families for eternity.  Brother and Sister May