While photocopies and scans are extremely useful, transcripts and abstracts also have an important place in genealogical research. Transcripts, word-for-word copies, provide an easily readable version of a long, convoluted or illegible document. Abstacting, or summarizing, helps bring out a document's essential information, especially helpful for land deeds and other documents with significant "boiler plate" language.
Abstracting
An abstract is a summary of the important points of a document. With regards to most documents and sources, this includes names, dates, places and other information that could be of use in solving genealogical problems. Extraneous words, such as legal language, are omitted. Abstracts are especially useful for legal documents such as deeds and wills, where photocopying multiple, lengthy records can be time-consuming, expensive, or impractical.Abstracting isn't very complicated, but it does take practice. Choosing which particular words are significant enough to include often requires some knowledge and experience with the record type, location and time period. Generally, it's considered good practice to include everything which a genealogist might find significant or helpful - names, dates, places, monetary amounts, land descriptions, witnesses, relationships, etc. The information which is typically omitted is the "boilerplate" language - the standard phrases and legal jargon found in most similar documents. Other excess verbiage which provides no real information of genealogical value is also omitted. In the case of an estate inventory, the list of items is generally left out of an abstract, though a summary of the important items might be included (with a note on what was done added in square brackets). If you're not sure if a specific item is genealogically significant, include it. You don't want to have to make another trip back to investigate the original!
Examples of text which would generally be omitted from an abstract:
- being weak in body but of perfect mind and memory
- This indenture made this day
- In witness whereof I have set my hand and seal
- To have and to hold the said bargained premises with all the commodities thereunto belonging
Abstracting styles vary from genealogist to genealogist. Some recommend the use of forms which help you pick out the important details in a document. Most abstracters prefer to handwrite their own abstracts, however, as this allows them to preserve the original order of the information. The capitalization of surnames also varies from abstracter to abstracter. Many prefer to capitalize surnames to provide for easy scanning, while some say that names should be copied as originally written. If you choose to capitalize surnames, then using small caps helps to improve readability.
The best way to develop and improve your own abstracting skills is to take a hands-on workshop (often offered at national genealogy conferences), by reading the published abstracts of others, and through practice, practice, practice.
Abstract Tip:
When you're not sure if particular language used in a document could be considered "boiler plate," examine similar documents from the same time period. This is especially useful for deed books (and will books) where you can look at the deeds before and after the one you're abstracting for clues.
Transcribing
In the field of genealogy, a transcription is an exact copy of a source document. The key word here is exact. Everything should be rendered exactly as found in the original source - spelling, punctuation, abbreviations and the arrangement of text. If a word is misspelled in the original, then it should be misspelled in your transcription. If the deed you're transcribing has every other word capitalized, then your transcription should as well. If you aren't sure of a word or phrase then flag it with a question mark in square brackets. If part of a word is unclear, then underline the letters which are unclear. If an entire phrase, sentence or paragraph is unreadable, then indicate the length of the passage.Transcription Tip: If you're using a word processor for your transcription, be sure that the spell check/correct option is turned off. Otherwise the software may automatically correct those mispellings you're trying to preserve!
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