Phyllis, As you can see from the replies, formats vary from program to program. Everyone has a favorite program and wants to recommend it. Some programs are more sophisticated and in fact are more likely to provide formats for the problems you mentioned. I have found for instance that The Master Genealogist is one of the most complete in this regard. I suggest you look into a variety of programs with those issues in mind. Merrill Reich [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: Kathleen Much <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 12:10 PM Subject: Re: Standard data formatting? > Phyllis Cloyd asked: > > My daughter is buying me a new genealogy software program. So I will > be changing over my data and hope that this will be my last change. I > will be doing editing of my existing data at the same time and want to > try to GET IT RIGHT this time. Ha. > > 1. If someone is adopted, which name do you list for that person? I > assume the birth name if you know it. But where do you put the > adopted name? The adopted name appears on marriage certif., deeds, > etc. > > 2. How do you correctly show the nickname for a person? And what if > there is more than one nickname? > > 3. How do you correctly show a title such as "Deacon" or "Sir" or > "Reverend"? > > > 4. Where do you put "Jr." or "Sr."? -- Or "III" or "IV", etc.? > Years ago I heard that when "Sr." dies, the "Jr." is dropped from the > second generation. Does that apply in genealogy? > > 5. And how do you handle the variant spellings for both surnames and > given names? > > ----------- > If your daughter buys you Reunion, some of your questions will be > solved very simply by the structure of its database. Enter the terms > you want in the appropriate box on the "person card". > > There are always controversies about how to represent names, and no > one "right" way. At least Reunion allows you to explain in a note why > you chose the form you did. > > For adoptees, I generally assign the person the surname he used most > of his adult life. Reunion allows you to link him to both his birth > and adoptive families, appropriately labeled. In the note I put the > other name and when it was used, if I know: Born James Keenan Webb; > adopted by Henry Morris about 1970; now called James Arthur (Jimmy) > Morris. If a person had his name changed legally, I note when and > where the change was recorded. > > Some people put nicknames in quotation marks. I prefer to put the > name(s) the person was called by in parentheses: Sarah Ellen (Sally); > Thomas Edward (Blind Tom, TE); Mary Elizabeth (Mary); Emma (Birdie, > Babe). > > Jr and Sr had different meanings in earlier days. They do NOT imply a > son-father relationship before about 1800 (they may represent it, but > you can't infer it), merely a younger and an older man of the same > name in a locality. You must document the usage in a note. III, IV, > etc., are ways to keep track of a lineage but probably were not used > by the person in his lifetime. Reunion has a "suffix" box where you > can enter them. > > Record alternate spellings in the notes. I generally use the name the > person used most often on his main card and give variants in the notes > with sources cited (I have one man whose name was spelled at least 17 > ways in his lifetime). Reunion's citation method encourages proper > documentation. > > Whatever you do, be consistent. When you share your data, include a > key to your notation system. > > Kathleen Much > [log in to unmask] > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html