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Identity in the Census

This document explores the concept of identity in census data, focusing on the various types of identifiers used to make connections between records. It describes the significance of both cultural and biological identifiers, such as names, ages, and family roles. The text highlights the importance of coding and blocking techniques to improve comparison and matching. By examining examples and discussing the need for effective identifier sets, the goal is to refine record linkage methods and measure their effectiveness across larger datasets, ultimately enhancing genealogical research.

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Identity in the Census

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  1. Identity in the Census Finding people in more than one

  2. What is Identity? • A unique set of identifiers

  3. What is an Identifier? • Any measurable attribute • In Census - Name, Age, Sex, Birth State • AND Household characteristics

  4. Basic Record Linking • Generalize identifiers to block • Compare within a block more specifically to match Why? • GEDCOM was about exchange – we’ve abandoned that in favor of linkage • Local conclusions, remote evidence

  5. Household Characteristics? • Oldest male • Oldest female • Oldest boy • Oldest girl

  6. Types of Identifiers • Cultural • Biological

  7. Cultural Identifiers • Surname • Given Name • Family Role

  8. Biological Identifiers • Sex • Age • Parent / Child roles

  9. Coding Identifiers • Soundex • Initials • Birth year

  10. Why code identifiers? • Because matching doesn’t work • Expressions of identifiers in records vary – granularity etc. • To speed up comparisons by allowing blocking on a matched code

  11. Examples: Carroll Co AR • 1860 and 1870 • Surnames beginning with K and L

  12. What kind of keys did you use? • qry1860OldWoman • Sex (f) • Initial of Surname • Initial of coded first name • Estimated birth year / 5 • Example: 1860 Mary Keelan age 13 • fKM369

  13. 1860 Family • John • KEYES • 30 • Hannah • KEYES • 27 • Housekey = mKJ366fKH366 • Less granular key = mKJfKH

  14. Easy Match • Surname Soundex • First initial • Birth Year • Easy List

  15. Other Matches • Universe 778 records • Key 2 – mKJ - 449 matches • EasyList – 78 matches • Key 3 – mKJ382 – 38 matches • Mom and oldest boy – key3 – 8 matches – 1 right • Housekey - mLA368fLE368 – 4 matches – 3 right

  16. Work to do • Measure the effectiveness of different sets of identifiers • Scale the algorithms to larger data sets • Abandon linking for a Cartesian Event Space

  17. Example of LeMaster Numbers

  18. Questions

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