How do you know which Image Type to choose?

June 11, 2012 

Are you one of the many who are confused on when to mark an image as “Blank” and when to use “No Extractable Data”? Are you unsure when to mark an image unreadable? How do you know it’s really a duplicate? Let us help clear up the confusion.

What’s the difference?

A “Normal” image is readable and contains the appropriate information. For example, if you download a batch of death records, and the image is a Certificate of Death and is readable, you would mark the image type as Normal.

A “Blank Image” could be a completely blank form or could possibly contain header data, such as page and sheet numbers, letters, or location information. However, if there are no records listed on the document, this type of image should be marked as a Blank image. Be sure to scan the entire image before marking the image as Blank Image.

This is an example of a blank image from a census project.

A “Duplicate Image” is an exact duplicate of another image in the same batch. This happens if the image was filmed twice. Index the image that is easiest to read, and mark the other image as aDuplicate Image.

A “No Extractable Data Image” has record information on the image; however, the information does not match the project being indexed. An example would be finding a birth record in the Texas Deaths project. In such a case, this image would be marked as a No Extractable Data Image.

Left Image: If working in Texas Deaths and you see this image, you would mark it as Normal because it is a certificate of death and is readable. Right Image: If working in Texas Deaths and you see this image, you would mark it as a No Extractable Data Image because it is a certificate of birth and does not belong in the Texas Deaths project

The “Unreadable Image” is used if the whole image is too light, too dark, or too damaged for you to index any of the required information. However, if some of the image is readable, such as a torn page, mark the image type as Normal, index what you can see, and mark the missing required fields as Blank.

This is an example of an Unreadable Image. There is information written, but it is too faded to transcribe.

Why does it matter?

Indexers need to be aware of how to correctly label the header data. When the A indexer marks an image as Blank and the B Indexer marks it as No Extractable Data, it flags the document to go to arbitration. When both indexers correctly label the header data, it saves the arbitrator from having to review these fields.

Are you worried about mislabeling?

If the image is marked Blank or No Extractable Data by both indexers, it will be sent back to the Indexing Operations team for a quality check to make sure the image was marked correctly.

What does the question mark mean in my Arbitration Results? 

In the past, the question mark meant that your batch had been returned by the arbitrator for re-indexing. Now the question mark will also appear when you correctly mark an image as Blank or No Extractable Data because there is no information to review.

We want to meet your needs. Let us know what training tip we should cover in the next newsletter. Post a comment below, or e-mail us atfsindexing@familysearch.org.