Proofreading Complete...Finally

Yes, the proofreading phase has finally ended. Yesterday, I finished doing a paper-to-paper cross check on the 109,348th slip--and then some. While the vendor counted 109, 348 records, when all is said and done, the number may be off by several hundred slips. The proofreading phase did not just check, character by character, the transcription completed by our vendor, it also served as a slip-by-slip inventory of the entire catalog. The microfilm that the vendor used to transcribe was created in 2001 and since that time the editorial staff has continued to find more documents to add to our archive. The number of additions is not yet known, but it will probably number in the hundreds. These new slips will all be added to the XML files during the first phase of encoding, which is well under way.

While the proofreading phase has been the most unpredictable aspect of the project thus far, it has been a critical component to complete. Ensuring the integrity of the database by making the content is as accurate as the tagging is important not just for the editors but for all online users of the archive. A catalog is only as good as its accuracy--if we can't trust it then no amount of fancy web coding will encourage people to use it!

I have to give proper acclamation to the Control File team:

• Jim the Proofreader/Encoder proofread 57,157 slips
  
• Susan the EAD Gal proofread 14, 878 slips
• and I clocked in about 37,000 (give or take a few)

Cheers!

Phase 2 Timeline

Our project to digitize the Adams Papers Control File began in January 2009. We originally planned on spending a few short months on proofreading before moving into encoding. However, proofreading 109,348 slips, one by one, has taken a little longer than we anticipated. This phase of the work is vitally important, though, and we have continued doggedly pursuing our final reels. We have found important corrections and updates and have begun entering those changes into the XML files now. The input of corrections has been folded into first phase of encoding and so far is going smoothly.

The first seven months of the project were also devoted to schema development (see Master Encoding Guide) and this summer we secured the services of an excellent XSL consultant to write an XSL transformation to convert our abbreviated vendor schema into the full schema and populate much of the consistent data automatically. The XSLT's have been very helpful and we hope to build on them to automatically generate other data as we work through the initial encoding.

Thus our schedule for 2009:

• January-August: proofreading (project manager, proofreader, EAD coordinator)

• March-June: schema development (project manager and web developer)

• July-August: XSL development and contract work (project manager, web developer, and consultant)

• August-December: encoding level 1 (project manager, encoder, EAD coordinator)

• September-December: XSL development (project manager and web developer)

Still Proofreading... but Encoding Begins!

It has been a busy couple of months since the last post. While continuing with the proofreading, which has taken much longer than originally estimated, we have developed a full schema (also in RelaxNG) for encoding the data and have hired a consultant to develop some nifty XSL transformations to move the data from our short vendor schema to the full schema. Following this post I will begin uploading the master encoding guide that provides a detailed narrative of each element and examples of the mark-up.

Phase 1 Continues

Since late February, we have been downloading our completed XML files from the vendor and preparing them for proofreading. During this phase of work, the focus has been to check the accuracy of the transcriptions against the good old paper slips. After some hemming and hawing, our committee decided that paper-to-paper proofreading was still the best method, so we have run the XML files through an XSL transformation, producing a fresh paper copy that closely matches the original paper files. The major difference, of course, is that our new paper copies can fit about six records to a page. So, for the past six weeks (and continuing until it's done) several of us are spending the bulk of our time proofreading about 100,000 tiny slips of paper against about 20,000 larger pieces of paper. This stage, while tedious, is an important first step before the full encoding and data improvement.

For the project manager, sitting down with hundreds of records everyday has been enormously helpful in developing the full schema. After much discussion, investigation, and trial and error, the project committee decided to develop a home-grown schema. A full discussion of the evolution of the schema and its latest iteration will follow in the next post--stay tuned!

Proofreaders: Note the Slip Color

During proofreading, please note on the XSL printout the color of each slip. In the left margin, mark either "p" for pink, "y" for yellow, "b" for blue, "w" for white, and "g" for goldenrod. This information will be included as a controlled attribute in the record ID tag.

Miscellaneous Proofreading Rules

During the first phase of work on the control file, XML files received by the vendor will be undergo a character-by-character proofread against the physical slips. In an effort to speed up our proofreading, please note the following rules. Issues of formatting bib records and transcription of lengthy handwritten material will be handled during Encoding Level 1.

• Ignore underlining and italics
• Ignore Arabic number following Roman numeral for series, II or III
• Insert post-it note on the XSL printout for a new slip, place a sticky flag the new paper slip in the chronological file
• Transcribe handwriting if under one line, otherwise flag on XSL printout
  

Proofreaders' Marks

Please use the formal proofreading marks for all phases of proofreading and verification. A copy can be found at the Chicago Manual of Style Online.