Basic Typing Instructions - Page 2

INSTRUCTIONS AND TIPS

* Take a look at your manifest (or list). Look at the handwriting. Try to find a name or word that is clearly written. Try to get a feel for the handwriting, the format etc. It may be helpful to use tracing paper and trace the name so you can get a feel for how the name was written. Also studying the numbers and the way they were written often helps to clarify an age of a passenger. Often the list taker is not the same person who fills in the sworn statement, so comparing letters you can't decipher on the list, to letters written in the sworn statement, will not help.

* On some lists you will notice some strange numbers, clearly written by someone else. They may be in a column (the column used to record those who have died is often used) but not on any particular line and sometimes the print is heavier. IGNORE these numbers - UNLESS they are written on lists after 1897, then they may be important and useful to the reader.

* Look to see if there are any empty columns throughout the manifest. e.g. You may have a list that has a column heading: Births and Deaths. You note there haven't been any births or deaths so in that case you will eliminate that column, BUT you must make a note of this on your transcription. Even if there are three or four deaths on the voyage, you may eliminate the column as long as you make a note of the deaths in your transcriber's notes.

* When transcribing the manifest DO NOT alphabetize or change the order in which the list was written.

* When transcribing the manifest DO NOT type the names in CAPS.

* Type the names in the order in which they were recorded, exactly.

* Please number your passengers even if they were not numbered on the manifest. Do not type a period after the number.

* NO fancy fonts or colors. Type in basic black, in a font which uses the same amount of space for each letter regardless of the width of the letter. If you work in notepad (or SimpleText on Mac computers), as we prefer, you will not have any trouble lining up the columns in your list. Nothing smaller than 10pt. The webpage has a scroll bar at the bottom to include many columns.

* Many lists are full of dittos or the abbreviation "do" was often used. Sometimes a long squiggley line was drawn down to mean ditto. Do NOT use the word ditto, do, or the standard " to indicate a repeat. The word must be written out. Copy and paste makes this very easy. If you need instructions, let us know via the list.

* Please DO NOT center anything.

* Please DO NOT type in column headings but you will eventually line up the information neatly. Not now...but later. For now, just concentrate on deciphering the list. Instead of using headings over the columns, write Columns represent name, age, sex, and list all the other headings, you can see this by looking at a ship on our site.

* Please DO NOT use umlauts or any other diacritical markings, EXCEPT you may use the apostrophe in Irish names. This was discussed at length when we started and decided, for a number of reasons, not to use them. You should however, in your Transcriber's Notes, make a notation of it.

* Write abbreviated given names as they are written. DO NOT leave a space between the main letters of the name and the letter or letters at the end which may be superscripted (written slightly above the others.) DO NOT separate these letters in an abbreviated name with an _ (underscore) or - (dash) or . (period). You can however use a ^ (caret) or an ' (apostrophe) to signify the letter was raised or separated from the name. Example Eliza^h or Fried'k. This ^ character may be made by holding down the shift key and striking the number 6 on the keyboard. You may make note of what you think those names might be in your Transcriber's Notes.

* DO NOT use the TAB key for spacing, use only the space bar.

* If the letter is a capital, leave it that way and the same goes for lower case. Even if you think it's incorrect, you MUST type it the same as was originally done. Again you may note it in the Transcriber's Notes.

* Please do not use fractions when typing an age which was listed in years and months. Please type 5y for five years; type 10y 6m for ten years, six months.

* Sometimes there is an SS in the first line. This refers to Steamship. Other words commonly used are Bark/Barque, Schooner, and Ship. If nothing was written before the name of your ship, please just type the name of the ship as you cannot be sure what type of ship it was.

* When entering a passengers information - enter the name exactly as it was written. Sometimes it will be Last name, first name, any initials, and other entries for that passenger. Other times it will be first name, initial if any, and last name. Type your list as it was recorded. In the example below we cannot know if the man's name is William Fred or Fred William.

1 William Fred J 37 M Cigar Maker U.S.A. London No2 For Buffalo, NY 1

This says - Passenger #: 1 surname: William first name: Fred middle initial: J age: 37 sex: M occupation: Cigar maker citizen of: USA, leaving from London compartment: No 2 Forward destination: Buffalo, New York pieces of luggage: 1

This particular list gives more information than most. If you must abbreviate to save space, begin by abbreviating the words Male or Female and use M or F before abbreviating the names of more important information.

* IMPORTANT - note there is ONE space between each word, letter or number until you have written the occupation; then you can put TWO spaces between each COLUMN if you have the space. The list will not line up into columns just yet, don't worry.

* If you have a word that you know is misspelled ie. Mechant (should be merchant), put an asterisk after the number of the passenger 1* You will note this misspelling in your transcriber's notes.