Tips on finding records to index

If you download a batch and it is handwritten, contains images of handwritten records or is just too difficult to read, simply send it back. Especially in the beginning you want to index records you can read and feel good about doing. You do not want to become frustrated. 

Be sure to look at all of the images carefully before you begin indexing. There may be a handwritten image in a batch where all the other records are on the form. It is frustrating to index eight images and then click on the next image and see that it is all handwritten. You will have to send it back and let someone who reads Italian complete the batch.

Record on a from. Notice the typed words

Handwritten record - you will want to return this batch, unless you are very familiar with indexing
these records and you read Italian.

To return a batch, for whatever reason, click on "file" at the top left of the page. From the dropdown, select "return batch". You will see two options, "Give to other indexers" or "Review Image Quality". Select the option that applies - most of the time it will be give to other indexers.

Sometimes it may seem difficult to find a good batch. Just remember, when you send a batch back you are still helping. Once a batch has been returned three times, it is pulled from the project and sent to the clean up team to be completed. There are ten slots for Italian records. Once a  project is complete it will be pulled and familysearch will prepare it to be published. When that project is removed, it opens the slot up for another project to be uploaded. 

Sometimes a project will be 90 - 99 percent complete. It may have a few records that are handwritten or difficult to read. Until those records are either completed or returned three times, it will just sit there. Here is how you can determine how much of a project has been completed:

1. Go to www.familysearch.org and log in
2. Select "indexing"
3. Click on "Find a Project"
4. Click on the map that shows the country you want to find a project from 
5. Click on the map of Europe. You will receive a pop-up of a list of countries in Europe
6. Select Italy
7. You will see a list of Italian projects. There will be some that show 100 per cent complete. At the bottom of the list you will see a link "more". Click on that link to see more projects.
   
8. Here is a sample of two Italian projects. The first is a death record from Chieti, (notice the word  "Morti" in the title). There is no guarantee that it will be easier to find good records in this project because it is only 29 per cent indexed, but it is a good place to try. The second record shown here is also from Chieti. It is a birth record (notice "Nati" in the title). Since it is 99 per cent complete, I would guess that the remaining records are probably all handwritten. If you are familiar with indexing birth records and can read Italian, it would be very helpful if you would look at this project and see if you can help get it completed so it can be removed and published and a new project can take its place.