Genealogists researching in 2024 have indexes available that genealogists in 1924 probably could not even dream of and that genealogists in 1984 might have dreamed of but never thought would happen.
Despite those indexes and full-text search capabilities for some records, there are still times when records or references cannot be located. Indexes and full-text searches are not perfect. Sometimes manual searches of every page are necessary. Sometimes searches using the original indexes that were created by the creator of the actual record need to be referenced. Those indexes are not always ideal, but for years they were all we had. In some cases they are still all we have when the records have not been digitized and only exist in their original format.
We are not yet at the stage in genealogy research when the old-fashioned research approach to finding records can be totally abandoned. Researchers need to be aware of new indexes and full-text search options for some records. But it is also necessary to know how to effectively use indexes created by the original holder of the records when the records needed are available in no other way.
And sometimes, when we cannot find someone in a record that we have good reason to be there, a manual, page-by-page search of the records is necessary–if we really want to make every effort to find the record.
2 Responses
I would add that usually an index made manually by someone who knows the material is more accurate than one created by OCR.
Very good reminder.