Project: Data Doctors
Categories: Profile Improvement Project | Data Doctors Project
- This page is part of the Data Doctors Project.
- Latest report: August 18th 2024.
- Data Doctors Challenge: 5_Star_Profiles_XXXVI and
.
- Custom reports by: Suggestion lists, Unsourced lists, Unconnected lists.
- See
for custom reports and statistics and our Video Collection.
- Latest ProjectBox Report: Project Report
- Latest Categories Report: Categories Suggestions Report
![data_doctor.gif](https://www.wikitree.com/images/badge/data_doctor.gif.pagespeed.ce.tKO2LiEaOa.gif)
- Project Leaders: Aleš Trtnik
- Coordinators: Janet Langridge
- Answer our G2G welcome post to join the Data Doctors project and get a badge.
- Add data_doctors to your followed tags.
- We use the Data Doctor Project Google Group and G2G for communication.
Mission
The mission of this project is to help WikiTree members create more accurate profiles that equate to better genealogy overall. Good genealogy is based on sources, so all changes should be sourced.
For sources with different facts, we need to add our analysis so other WikiTree members can understand our reasoning. This is usually done in an optional Research Notes section.
Some suggestions are classified as errors, e.g. a mother can’t be born after a child. Other errors are conflicts between a WikiTree profile and another source. We need to resolve the conflict and correlate the facts/sources.
Remember you can ask questions anytime in G2G. WikiTree is a worldwide genealogy community and we each participate with our own special knowledge and skills.
Goals
The goal of this project is to make members aware of and to correct ERRORS, review WARNINGS and investigate HINTS in the WikiTree database.
Most errors are the result of typos or imports of GEDCOMs. Also, beginners can make mistakes that are not easily seen.
Warnings are produced by uncommon data. It may be a typo or it may be unique information.
Hints are results of inconsistencies in linking to external databases. It can be the result of a typo, an error in what we have linked to the profile, or an error in the external database and needs investigating.
How to Join
Leader: Aleš Trtnik
Coordinators:
- Project Organizer/Coordinators Team Manager:
- General/Special Projects: Janet Langridge
If you have been a WikiTree member for at least one month (30 days), signed the Honor Code, and have made at least 100 contributions and would like to be involved in the Data Doctors Project please:
-
Answer this post in G2G and the badge will be awarded to you if you meet the minimal requirements stated in the post. By receiving this badge, you are allowed to send more than 20 private messages per day, but you must be aware of the warnings here: Daily limits on_messages - Exceptions to the limits. It's important that nobody posts/sends too many similar-looking messages.
- Complete the new Data Doctors Questionnaire (DDQ) sent after you request to join and review responses online.
- Add DATA_DOCTORS to your list of followed tags. That way you'll see discussions in your G2G Feed.
- If requested in the DDQ, you will be directly added to the Data Doctors Google Group where most of the discussions among Data Doctors take place.
- Here you can see tag followers and badge holders. Note: many WikiTree members follow the tag to keep current on announcements and suggestion discussions, so not all tag followers are members of the project.
Code of Conduct for Data Doctor Work
- If you are working on a particular suggestion from the weekly Suggestion Report, add a note on the latest report page so no one else will also look at the same list for that week.
- Click the status button from the suggestion list to see if a suggestion has already been corrected.
- If no previous status has been marked, look at the profile for any previous comments that other Data Doctors may have already left so you do not leave a duplicate message. An exception to this is if you have new information (such as a new source) that would help the profile manager to better edit an error.
- Do not remove information from a profile. In most cases, information is simply moved to the correct field or to the biography.
- Refrain from editing merged profile biography sections beyond rearranging merged biographical text and/or deleting duplicate biography data.
- Use their style, not yours. Leave a written biography as is if you are not the Profile Manager. See above.
- If you do make changes, such as changing an unknown birth location to a known place, make sure to add the source to the biography that validates the change.
- Make location changes only if you are very familiar with the area AND if you have and are adding a source that reflects the change.
- When suggestions are corrected, always leave a comment on the Suggestion Status page for anyone who may come after you. Remember to click save.
- Please write a short "change comment" in the change explanation field box (right above the profile’s Save options - Save Draft or Full Save) for each change you make including "Data Doctor". Use this format, for example: “Data Doctor - Suggestion 712- Number in Prefix: Edited number in first name-”
Try not to use the word “remove” or anything similar. This upsets profile managers. Although not always possible, try to include all the changes you made in the comment, leaving a separate comment for each suggestion in the recommended format. - When advising another member on correcting errors, be clear and friendly. Make suggestions not demands. Errors happen to everyone! Word your messages in such a way to make the profile managers feel empowered rather than as if they are being sent to the naughty corner.
- On open profiles, you do not need to contact the profile managers for every suggestion correction. The change log (under each profile’s “Changes” tab) will show every change that has been made. The exception to this is if you plan to make a major change based on primary sources. Then it is a courtesy to contact the profile manager through a private message before making any changes.
How to Get Started
First Steps
- Read this project page and the project documentation linked here. If you have any questions, please contact one of the Project Coordinators listed above.
- Check and correct Suggestions on your managed profiles to learn the process. (My WikiTree tab and scroll to Suggestions tab or Click here).
- Check and correct Suggestions on your extended family tree to continue learning the process. (On starting profile Second menu (at top of page) and scroll to Suggestions tab or Click here).
- Check and correct suggestions for profiles on your watchlist (My WikiTree / Watchlist or Click here). It redirects you to WikiTree+ where you log in with WikiTree credentials to use).
- Correct Suggestions by Type. Check out the latest suggestions list to find suggestion types you can correct. Check for videos and read the Suggestion Help Page information to familiarize yourself with specifics and then start correcting. *Note: If you are working on the complete list of a suggestion in a specific era add a comment on the latest suggestions page so that others will know that suggestion has already been checked. (August 18th 2024)
Next Steps
- These suggested steps help in cleaning up profiles that benefit the entire one-world tree.
- Use prepared Suggestion Reports by country, US states, projects,... (Custom lists)
- Correct Suggestions by Location (your town, region, country ...) (Click here).
- Correct Suggestions by Names (first or last names) (From last name page on WikiTree click Suggestion Report (last name page or define custom search Click here).
Establish Your Data Doctor "Practice"
- Data Doctors need to become familiar with all Suggestion Groups since there can be more than one suggestion on the profile and each gives you a clue to finding the main issue and then all the suggestions can be corrected at once.
- Choose to specialize in one Suggestion Group.
- Participate in the Weekly Challenges. Note: you must be familiar with the Suggestion and location and time period (or other criteria related to the topic suggestion) of the Weekly Challenge.
- Any questions on the steps can be addressed to one of the Project Coordinators listed above.
Special Situations
Hold Request Profiles
- Several regional and topical projects use trails to help WikiTree members learn about local resources and create well-sourced profiles as a requirement to join those projects. The profiles involved contain a Research Note Box Hold Request using this template: {{Hold Request}}.
Data Doctors or anyone working on Suggestions should "'never'" work on these profiles.
- " 'Never'" means that you do not work on the profile in any way, not even simple typos or minor changes.
- "Do not correct any suggestions" at any time on these profiles.
- You can leave a comment on the profile with any suggestions or typos, etc., you see for the benefit of the member assigned to the profile
- If the date in the profile's Hold Request is past, you may check with the project or individual to see if it is okay to work on it.
- The "code used" is what you will see in the profile's edit screen; the profiles are also listed in the "category added".
- These projects have current Hold Requests on profiles:
Project Hold Requests |
---|
Project Requesting Hold: | Project Trail Information | Code used in the profile edit screen) Research Box appears on the Profile view. | Category added | ||
Canada Project |
| {{Hold Request | id = WikiTree-58 | name = Canada Project | date = 23 Apr 2024}} | Canada Project Hold Requests | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
England Project |
| {{Hold Request|id=WikiTree-57|name=England Project|date=01 Jun 2024}} | England Project Hold Requests | ||
Nordic Project | Nordic Project Trail | {{Hold Request| id = WikiTree-115| name = Nordic Project| date = 30 May 2024}} | Nordic Project Hold Requests | ||
Scotland Project |
| {{Hold Request | id = WikiTree-65 | name = Scotland Project | date = 18 Apr 2024 }} | Scotland Project Hold Requests | ||
Profile Improvement Project | Profile Improvement Project PIP Voyage | {{Hold Request|id= WikiTree-132|name= Profile Improvement Project|date= 12 Jun 2024}} | Profile Improvement Project Hold Requests | ||
US Black Heritage Project |
| {{Hold Request|id= WikiTree-112|name= US Black Heritage Project|date= 31 Dec 2024}} Hold Request: Please communicate with the US Black Heritage Project or wait until after 31 Dec 2024 before editing this profile. See the Research Notes for details.
| US Black History Hold Requests |
Note: Individuals, usually Leaders, may have reserved profiles, and the template appears as this example:
Project Protected Profiles (PPP)
- Project Protected Profiles: These profiles will have a box at the top right that says PROJECT PROTECTED and contain this image. They might have a green privacy level regardless of the time period. Data Doctors may edit the profile for minor errors such as typos. For more substantive edits, please leave a comment on the page of what you want to change or add along with source information. This alerts the manager(s) of the profile, Project Coordinators and Leaders of changes needed.
If there are questions about doing work on a PPP, leave the question as a public comment for the project to review and advise next steps.
![]() |
Pre-1700 Profiles
- Pre-1700 means 1500-1699. You must be Pre-1700 certified to edit these profiles. While Pre-1700 Certification is not required to be a Data Doctor, it is recommended that you take the self-administered Pre-1700 certification in order to work on suggestions in this time period. If you are not interested in working on profiles in this time period, that is OK. Just leave these suggestions to Data Doctors who desire to work on those profiles.
Pre-1500 Profiles
- Pre-1500 means all profiles before this century. You must be Pre-1500 certified to edit these profiles; however, this certification takes more work to acquire.
- If you have a special interest in a particular profile (It is in your family tree for instance) and you feel a suggestion needs attention, you may post in G2G asking for a Pre-1500 certified member to correct the suggestion on your behalf.
- Post a very clear message about what needs to be fixed, why, and the source of the information to back up the change. Make sure to add the tags: Pre-1500, Suggestions, and Data Doctors, so we know the origin of the corrections request and a Pre-1500-badged member will work on these, or you can leave these suggestions for Data Doctors who specialize in these suggestions.
Private and Public Profiles
- Privacy Suggestions deal with the profiles with incorrect privacy level and issues with status indicators.
- Many of these suggestions cannot be addressed if the Privacy Level is not" "Open," In most cases, you will have to contact the Profile Manager.
- Data Doctors cannot directly correct suggestions on private profiles. (These are Privacy Settings Green to Red).
![]() |
- There are a few steps you can take to improve the health of a profile.
- If the profile should be open due to the person’s age (anyone born 150 years ago or died 100 years ago):
- Go to the second tab at the top right of the profile page where it shows the profile’s WikiTree ID.
- In the drop-down menu, go down to the choice that says, “Open Profile Request.” You will be asked to confirm the age is old enough to require it being opened.
- Leave a short note of evidence (such as birth date is 1830 or the child was born in 1797) that will help the administrator make a faster decision to open the profile.
- You will receive an email when the profile has been opened. Go back to the profile and correct that suggestion.
- Leave a comment on the Suggestion Status Page of what you did. This will alert others after you that issue is resolved, and a second request is not needed.
- Be sure to click on Update Status to save your work. See [Status Page below].
How to Get Help
- If the question is about a specific suggestion, check the Description of Suggestions section below that link to the Suggestion Help Page for that suggestion.
- If you are a Data Doctor and a member of the Data Doctors Google Group (DDGG), you may post a question there. Include the Suggestion ### and a link to any profile it may concern.
- Search for related subjects in the G2G forum searching for the DATA_DOCTORS tag.
- You can ask questions in the G2G forum.
- Please add the DATA_DOCTORS and Suggestion ### tags. (Create the tags by typing in data doctors, and Suggestion ### in the "Surnames/Tags box using underscores for spaces, and separate tags by commas, e.g. data_doctors, Suggestion_123).
- If you need help with Pre-1500 era profiles, add the Pre-1500 to the question in G2G along with the tags above.
- Please add the DATA_DOCTORS and Suggestion ### tags. (Create the tags by typing in data doctors, and Suggestion ### in the "Surnames/Tags box using underscores for spaces, and separate tags by commas, e.g. data_doctors, Suggestion_123).
- Check the Video Tutorials below.
- Contact one of the Project Coordinators for individual help.
Video Tutorials
| The video collection library including added content and admission to the genre theatres for videos on WikiTree topics, Suggestion Group/Genre Topics, WikiTree+, and Suggestion Individual Video Tutorials (How-Tos). | ||
---|---|---|---|
| Many videos on topics, instructions, the "Thons", projects and live chats created by the WikiTree Team, Leaders, and Members are available as well as 3rd party videos about WikiTree. WikiTree TV is the program guide and links to current videos. | ||
| It is WikiTree+, Mr E. Data Doctors WikiTree+ Suggestions WikiTree+ is an independent service offered for free by Aleš. It is not a part of WikiTree website and uses data that is publicly available to everyone. WikiTree+ uses deep data analysis to find possible errors and opportunities for further research. WikiTree Plus Info & Help | ||
| Ask Aleš - What Do You Want To Know About WikiTree Plus? |
Weekly Challenge & Annual Clean-a-Thon
Each week a theme is selected for the Weekly Challenge. Click here to join the current challenge! Data Doctors: Be sure you have met the How to Get Started criteria first.
- Data Doctors Project members may participate based on the suggestions' difficulty rating and their experience level. Check the Difficulty Rating of the suggestions included in the challenge in the tables below. Be sure to work in a timeframe and location you are familiar with.
- Participants in the annual Clean-A-Thon may also find the ratings helpful. For participants' instructions, see the Spring Clean-a-Thon Tutorial.
Suggestions Reports, Status Page, and Tracking
Tracking Work on Suggestions
![]() |
Suggestions Status Page Example (aka Status Report) |
Note: The INFO column located on the Suggestion List and on the Suggestion Status Page gives hints of what to look for in the profile to resolve the suggestion.
- Once you have worked on a suggestion and edited the profile, click on the Status button in the Suggestion Report to update that profile's suggestion.
- For an overview of the pages used and setting the status of a suggestion, the Suggestions Reports and Status Page page and its companion video: Data Doctors - Suggestions Report & Status Page contain information on:
- Where to access Suggestion Lists, reports, and pages
- What the lists, reports, and pages are,
- What the Suggestion Status Page is and how to complete it,
- Explanation of the Data Doctors Project Info Box,
- WikiTree+, and
- Suggestions Spreadsheet information.
Importance of Setting the Status
- Setting the Status (on the Suggestions Status Page) is important for two reasons:
- The status determines how the suggestion is handled in the future by the tracking system which is updated every Tuesday for the previous week's changes; and
- The status must be set to get credit for work done for a Data Doctors Weekly Challenge and the annual Clean-A-Thon.
Suggestions Definitions, Ratings, and Groups
Suggestions Definitions
- Suggestions are issues that appear on WikiTree profiles in the data fields and biography/sources sections.
- They are:
- Errors are incorrect entries as the result of typos or imports of GEDCOM that need to be corrected;
- Hints are results of inconsistencies in linking to external databases, like Ancestry or others, caused by a typo, an incorrect link to the profile, or an issue that needs investigating; or
- Warnings are produced by uncommon data due to a typo or unique information on profiles and need to be reviewed.
Difficulty Ratings & Experience Levels
- There is a Difficulty Rating for each suggestion:
- Easy- very basic format issues caused by typos, punctuation, omissions, name or date errors. (Examples: Brackets, Typos in any field, Headings);
- Intermediate - requires knowledge of WikiTree functions and proper formatting. (Examples: Inline citations, Sourcing, Template formatting); or
- Advanced - requires multiple steps, research, and combines more than one intermediate function to resolve. (Examples: Merging, Clean up Profile after merges, duplicate sources, gedcom cleanup)
- There are suggestions to work on at every experience level. On any level, please work on profiles only in the location[s] and timeframe[s] you are comfortable with and qualified for (i.e. you are badged for Pre-1700 or Pre-1500 Certifications; live in and/or research specific location[s]).
- Beginners - work on Easy suggestions,
- Intermediate - work on Intermediate and Easy suggestions,
- Advanced & Expert - work on all levels and concentrate on the more complex suggestions.
Suggestions Groups & Navigation
For a quick review, or if you are new to WikiTree or the Data Doctors Project, check the Suggestions Guidelines for WikiTree Members and Data Doctors.
Suggestions by Group
- The following tabs are the Suggestions Groups. Each tab links to a page with all the suggestions including type, descriptions, difficulty ratings, and links to each suggestion page.
- Click on the Group tab for all Suggestions in that group.
Suggestions by Difficulty Rating
- Click on the Rating for all Suggestions with that difficulty level. Please review the Suggestions Guidelines.
Links
- Page with latest suggestions August 18th 2024 2024-08-18
- See WikiTree+. for custom reports and statistics.
For older Suggestion Lists see:
- 2017-09-10, 2017-09-03,
- 2017-08-27, 2017-08-20, 2017-08-13, 2017-08-06,
- 2017-07-30, 2017-07-23, 2017-07-16, 2017-07-09, 2017-07-02,
Detail Suggestion Lists no longer available. Just totals:
- 2017-06-25, 2017-06-18, 2017-06-11, 2017-06-04,
- 2017-05-28, 2017-05-21, 2017-05-14, 2017-05-07,
- 2017-04-30, 2017-04-23, 2017-04-16, 2017-04-09, 2017-04-02,
- 2017-03-26, 2017-03-19, 2017-03-12, 2017-03-05,
- 2017-02-26, 2017-02-19, 2017-02-12, 2017-02-05,
- 2017-01-29, 2017-01-22, 2017-01-15, 2017-01-08, 2017-01-01
- 2016-12-25, 2016-12-18, 2016-12-11, 2016-12-04
- 2016-11-27, 2016-11-20, 2016-11-13, 2016-11-06
- 2016-10-30, 2016-10-23, 2016-10-16, 2016-10-09, 2016-10-02
- 2016-09-25, 2016-09-18, 2016-09-11, 2016-09-04
- 2016-08-28,2016-08-21, 2016-08-14, 2016-08-07
- 2016-07-31, 2016-07-24, 2016-07-17, 2016-07-10, 2016-07-03
- 2016-06-26, 2016-06-19, 2016-06-12, 2016-06-05
- 2016-05-29, 2016-05-22, 2016-05-15, 2016-05-11, 2016_05_01
- 2016_04_01
ToDo
- Merging tool, that would compare also relatives
. Done.
- create completeness scoring of the profile.
- Add new suggestions
- Problems with unicode characters in some GEDCOM imports. Done.
- 104: At the moment max age is 110 years and will be lowered as current errors are corrected.
- 105 Reduce similarity as current errors are corrected.
- 1xx Find duplicates were S=Š Or ss = ß or A=Å
- 205, 305 Do not allow false suggestions. Calculations are now exact except Before and After qualifiers.
- 400 Mclean-3147 suggested finding all partners with the same LNAB. Generally, they shouldn't be the same.
- 600 Locations
- 900 Any profile field empty .
This page was last modified 17:37, 7 April 2024. This page has been accessed 152,485 times.