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That is, those entries are correct copies of the wording found in
those sources, but the Illinois State Archives does not claim that that
information is in every case without error. Those records were compiled
by human actors and may contain inaccuracies as to fact, dates, and
spelling due to the human nature of those persons.
If
a researcher questions the accuracy of the transcription, we will be
happy to compare the questioned entry with its original source to
determine if any mistake was made in the transcription of that source to
the database entry. If such an error is found, we shall be happy to make
a correction to the record, if the database is editable. We are
currently able to make additions, deletions and corrections to the
following databases:
If, however, the transcription is found to be correct the State Archives
will not change the entry, in agreement with the practice described in
the first paragraph above. Users should realize that any such mistakes
in no way reflect upon, or convey disrespect to, the subjects of those
records, but only the assumed fallibility of the persons who originally
drew them up.
Professional scholars who have made use of historical materials for many
years understand these problems and make sensible, practical allowances
for them in their work. Standards of education and orthography were
different in the past from what they are today. Please recall that there
exist only six surviving autograph signatures of William Shakespeare and
in every one of them the writer spelled his own name differently. That
fact detracts in no way from his genius or his fame.
For any questions or comments concerning these matters,
use the
Illinois State Archives Contact Form to send secure
e-mail messages to the ISA Webmaster. Select the
Illinois State Archives Web site
from the drop-down menu as the subject.
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