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Module 4: Guide to matching records

Party records and Trove

Module 4 description

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Names can vary in many ways and this module provides guidance on when to match one party record with another. Possible name variations include:

o Identical nameso Names with variant life dateso Names consisting only of a surname or given nameo Personaso Alternative nameso Variations of the same name (personal)o Variations of the same name (corporate)o Names and multiple roles (Personal and Corporate)o Names with minimal information

Pre-requisitesModule 1-A: Process for contributing party records to Trove and how to obtain an ISIL code and Module 1-B: Register with Trove and access TIM

Module 4: Guide to matching records

Module 4 outline

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1. Identical names2. Names with variant life dates3. Names consisting only of a surname or given name4. Personas5. Alternative names6. Variations of the same name (personal)7. Variations of the same name (corporate)8. Names and multiple roles (Personal and Corporate)9. Names with minimal information

Module 4: Guide to matching records

1. Identical names

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If an unmatched record matches an identity record exactly and there is not enough information to decide if they are the same or a different person or organisation:

Do not match the records. Instead, create a new identity from the unmatched record.

Add a note if you have some useful information to help distinguish between the identities, for example the title of a research data collection or paper.

Module 4: Guide to matching records

2. Names with variant life dates

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If life dates vary between an unmatched record and an identity record but the data matches in other respects:

Search Trove, Google, library catalogues, etc., to see if the correct life dates can be determined.

If the correct date cannot be determined: match the unmatched record with the identity record in the usual way and include relevant information in the note field.

If the correct date can be determined, and the unmatched record is incorrect: do not match the record and instead refer the record back to the record contributor for correction and re-harvest.

If the correct date can be determined, and the identity record is incorrect: match the unmatched record with the identity record and include relevant information in the note field. Then advise NLA staff of the NLA party ID so the correction can be made.

ExampleSutherland, Jane, 1855-1928 (identity record) and Sutherland, Jane, 1853-1928 (unmatched record).

Module 4: Guide to matching records

3. Names consisting only of a surname or given name

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Check the contributor’s source data to determine if additional names should be included in the record. There may have been a technical problem in which a name part was ‘lost’ in the transformation to display it in the party infrastructure. Or, additional name parts may not exist in the contributor’s data.

Where the contributor’s source data includes additional name parts, contact the NLA for resolution and re-harvesting of the record.

Where the additional name parts do not exist in the contributor’s data, refer this back to the contributor for correction or annotation and delete the new record from the Trove Identities Manager.

For names genuinely consisting only of a single name (eg. MumShirl - http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-783718) match or create new identity records in the usual way.

Module 4: Guide to matching records

4. Personas

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Where there is a record for an identity and another record for a distinct and separate persona of that identity, an identity record should be created for each and each identity can link to the other.

For example Pamela Teresa is a persona of Jack O’Hagan. In the party infrastructure, there is an identity record for Jack O’Hagan - http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-557483 - and an identity record for Pamela Teresa - http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-556440. Each identity record links to the other under ‘related people and organisations’. Ideally, each would be linked to the other under ‘also known as’.

Another example is Barry Humphries - http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-466079 - whose personas include Everage, Edna (Dame) and Patterson, Les (Sir). If a separate record for Patterson, Les (Sir) was provided, NLA would create a new identity from this record and the new identity would link back to the Barry Humphries identity.

Module 4: Guide to matching records

5. Alternative names

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The name entry for some records may be an alternative name for an identity. Persons with alternative names include married women and names changed by deed poll. Where the alternative name is not being used concurrently, match the record in the usual way.

Example: Anderson, Maybanke (1845-1927) - http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-466159Maiden name: Maybanke Susannah Selfe 1st married name Maybanke Wolstenholme, or Mrs Edmund Wolstenholme 2nd married name Maybanke Anderson or Mrs. Francis Anderson

Exception: Alternative names may also be used for various reasons, eg. one name used in a specific field and another one used as a private person or in another field of interest. These "alternative" names would be treated as different identities, the same as Pseudonyms, and ideally with alternative names links etc.

Module 4: Guide to matching records

6. Variations of the same name (personal)

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Records for the same person with variations of spelling, initials etc should be matched, as long as it is certain they are the same person.

Records for the same person that are displayed in a different order should be matched, as long as it is certain they are the same person.

Examples of records with name variations for the same person that should be matched:

• ‘Don Walker’ with ‘Donald Hugh Walker’• ‘OKeefe, John’ with ‘ O'Keefe, Johnny’ and ‘O'Keefe, Johnnie’• ‘Barnes, James’ with ‘ Jimmy Barnes ‘• ‘Gill, Samual Thomas’ with ‘Gill, S. T. - G, S. T.’• ‘Robert Helpmann’ with ‘Sir Robert Helpmann’• ‘Young, John Paul’ with ‘John Paul Young’

Module 4: Guide to matching records

7. Variations of the same name (corporate)

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Records for the same corporate body with variations of spelling, acronym etc should be matched, as long as it is certain they are the same corporate body, and not former and later names of that body.

Records for the same corporate body that are displayed in a different order should be matched, as long as it is certain they are the same corporate body, and not former and later names of that body.

Records for former names and records for later names of a corporate body should not be merged. Where a corporate body has changed its name, there should be an identity record created for each name.

Example‘James Cook University of North Queensland’ changed its name in 1997 to ‘James Cook University’. Both names should appear as separate identities in Trove.

Module 4: Guide to matching records

8. Names and multiple roles (Personal and Corporate)

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Some persons will have a name entry for them as a person, but their name may also feature in an entry for a corporate body or group. These should be added to Trove as separate identities. The identities may be linked under ‘related people and organisations’ where a record provides this data.

Examples• Olive Pink - http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-473797• Olive Pink Society - http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-546368• ‘James Cook University of North Queensland’ changed its name in 1997 to

‘James Cook University’. Both names should appear as separate identities.

Module 4: Guide to matching records

9. Names with minimal information

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Some records contain very minimal information.

The minimal requirements for a record to be harvested into the party infrastructure are that it has a name entry and a local record identifier (plus some record maintenance information).

These records can be processed (i.e. matched or new identity created) in the usual way.

Module 4: Guide to matching records

Module 4 summary

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Module 4 demonstrated a number of ways that names can vary and how to search for and match them in TIM.

Further information from ANDS

Trove and TIM and the ARDC Party Infrastructure.

URLs

TIM: https://www.nla.gov.au/tim/appTrove: http://trove.nla.gov.au/people   Acknowledgment

This module is based the NLA's Trove Identities Manager Guide to managing records in the party infrastructure

Module 4: Guide to matching records