Search Hints (General)

by braillemaker, Monday, July 14, 2008, 05:30 (5986 days ago)

Record Id 103796, baptism of Charlotte Hale, is one of a number of records that have a blank, or zero, entry for Year. I take it that the majority of these are not transcription errors but relate to records where the Year is not specified. In the case of Charlotte Hale, the Notes entry reads ‘Year 1881’.
I am just wondering how these entries are going to be found by a searcher who ‘knows’ that the baptism took place around 1880. Entering 1880 with a year range is not going to find it.
If one uses the Advanced Search facility then it is immediately clear that such records exist but I’m thinking of those who always sticks to the simple search facility.
There perhaps needs to be an explicit hint that if you cannot find a record that you expect to find then try leaving the Year blank.