This is the sixth in a series of "Tip of the Day" to help volunteers who are transcribing for the FreeBMD Project. This Tip of the Day is being reissued with minor amendments for the benefit of our new volunteers plus existing volunteers who may have missed it when last issued. Further feedback is welcomed. The Transcribers' Knowledge Base at: http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/vol_faq.html#6u provides the definitive advice for dealing with alternative names in records. I've been carrying out ongoing checks of recent files uploaded by a number of transcribers to see how they dealt with records containing alternative names. In particular, where alternative spouse names are shown against a marriage entry the advice in http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/vol_faq.html#6u in a number of instances was not being followed The correct way to transcribe a marriage entry such as Dunn,Charles,Curphey or Bradley,W.Derby,8b,697 using the advice in http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/vol_faq.html#6u is Dunn,Charles,Curphey,W.Derby,8b,697 #COMMENT(2) entry reads Curphey or Bradley for spouse name Dunn,Charles,Bradley,W.Derby,8b,697 Please note, the #COMMENT(2) line is located between the two entries under consideration. By a similar token the correct way to transcribe a birth entry such as Dunn,Charles,Curphey or Bradley,W.Derby,8b,697 using the advice in http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/vol_faq.html#6u is Dunn,Charles,Curphey,W.Derby,8b,697 #COMMENT(2) entry reads Curphey or Bradley for mother`s name Dunn,Charles,Bradley,W.Derby,8b,697 Please note, the #COMMENT(2) line is located between the two entries under consideration. There should be no space between #COMMENT and (2) although to cater for the large number of previous instances of a space being inserted it is now allowed to include a space. For standardisation purposes there is no necessity to change the format of the wording after the #COMMENT(2) shown above and in http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/vol_faq.html#6u . The audit process checks for the alternative spouse name checks and the list of files identified as being suspect is listed in http://www.freebmd.org.uk/SuspectFiles.html . It would be appreciated if transcribers in conjunction with their Co-ordinators could check http://www.freebmd.org.uk/SuspectFiles.html to see if any of their files are listed and where appropriate correct the files by including the appropriate #COMMENT(2) line. A warning message will be shown against any suspect files when viewed in File Management. As an aside A misplaced #COMMENT(2) line can have the wrong outcome. In the example below an invalid #COMMENT(2) line in the file is placed after the two entries under consideration rather than between the two entries. Barbour,John H.,Stephenson,Skipton,9a,79 Barbour,John H.,Mitchell,Skipton,9a,79 #COMMENT(2) - above line has Stephenson or Mitchell as spouse of John H. Barbour The resultant effect from a search is to place a #COMMENT against one related entry and one unrelated entry as shown below: Barbour John H Mitchell Skipton 9a 79 (related #COMMENT - above line has Stephenson or Mitchell as spouse of John H. Barbour) Barcinski Philip H Newton Hampstead 1a 1513 (unrelated #COMMENT - above line has Stephenson or Mitchell as spouse of John H. Barbour) Allan Raymond FreeBMD Co-coordinator of Syndicates