[PAF] Entering census info

[Joan Lowrey <jlowrey@connectnet.com>]

>now.  I'm a new PAF user and love it.  Only one question:  what's the best 
>way to enter census data for a family?  Just put the entire family with the 
>head?  Break it up and put each individual's entry with the individual?  
>Could sure use some suggestions from the pro's.

I enter all the info from the census in the notes of the first person
listed (usually the head of the family). I included the year, place, film
#, page, household #s, E.D, etc., and list every person in the household
with everything that is on the census about them. I enter it in paragraph
format rather than columns as when printed, word-wrap will skew info that
has been entered in columns. I highlight the paragraph and use Ctrl+C to
copy it. Then I copy it (Ctrl+V) into the notes of every person named on
that census. This method of copying is faster than selecting "Edit", then
"Ditto Last Record", and also allows for copying only the selected text. I
also find it faster to enter all the people on the census, then go back and
highlight each person, click the Notes icon on the toolbar, do Ctrl-V, and
Save, rather than copy the text into the notes as each person is entered. 

This gives me complete information on each person. If I just enter, "John,
age 6, on 1870 census", I would have to continually go back to the father's
notes to find out the source details and who else was in the family.

I don't use the "Sources" feature as it doesn't give me as much control
over what I have for each person, all in one eye-shot, as this method does.
If you want to enter the source details in "Sources, however, you can enter
the census as an "Other event" and source it there. An advantage of using
"Sources" is that the Place Sorted List (in the latest upgrade, 4.0.4.18)
will then include that location and everyone on the census there. I should
probably do both methods.  

Joan Lowrey




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