GEDCOM X Representation of Birth Information

This post is part of an initiative to improve the available documentation of GEDCOM X. This particular post describes how birth-like information found during a research activity might be represented using GEDCOM X.

Summary

During research for Emma Bocock (born 1843, daughter of William and Sarah Bocock, in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England), a researcher uses Free BMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 to locate and order a birth record from the General Registry Office at Southport, England. The record is described by providing a title, citation, and other metadata. Information about the birth, the name, father, mother, etc., is extracted from the record. The extracted information is assembled together with information extracted from other records to aggregate what is presumed to be known about Emma Bocock.

Gathering the Information

A researcher receives a copy of a birth record from the General Registry Office at Southport, England. The following is a partial digital image of the record, smudged to avoid copyright issues:

Birth Record, Emma Bocock, GRO

Describing the Source

The record is described as a source with the following information:

name	value	provided by
Source Title	Birth Certificate of Emma Bocock, 23 July 1843, General Registry Office	User
Source Citation	England, birth certificate for Emma Bocock, born 23 July 1843; citing 1843 Birth in District and Sub-district of Ecclesall-Bierlow in the County of York, 303; General Registry Office, Southport.	User, possibly aided by software.
Repository Name	General Registry Office, Southport	User
Source Type	Physical Artifact	User
Source Creation Date	27 July 1843	User
Source Id	S-1	Software

Extracting the Information

The researcher extracts the following information from the source:

description	value
Event Type	Birth
Event Date	23 June 1843
Event Place	Broadfield Bar, Abbeydale Road, Ecclesall-Bierlow, York, England, United Kingdom
Child’s Name	Emma Bocock
Child's Gender	Female
Father’s Name	William Bocock
Mother’s Name	Sarah Bocock formerly Brough
Father’s Occupation	Toll Collector
Signature, Description and Residence of Informant	William Bocock, Father, Broadfield Bar, Abbeydale Road

Analyzing the Information

The researcher analyzes the birth record within the context of the other records of Emma Bocock she has found. She writes an analysis document that details her conclusions of the identity of Emma Bocock.

Representing the Information

The information gathered is represented using GEDCOM X as follows:

Create the GEDCOM X Root Document

All GEDCOM X information is contained within a “root” document. When the document is created, the software being used by the researcher provides information about who can be attributed the information.

The following snippet demonstrates how a root document is initialized in both XML and JSON. The information within the document is dated March 7, 2014 and attributed to a user named “Jane Doe” with an e-mail address of “example@example.org”. An instance of the Agent data type is provided to describe the contributor, and an instance of the Attribution data type is provided to attribute the information to the contributor.

XML

<gedcomx xmlns="http://gedcomx.org/v1/">
    ...
    <attribution>
        <contributor resource="#A-1"/>
        <modified>2014-03-07T00:00:00-07:00</modified>
    </attribution>
    ...
    <agent id="A-1">
        <email resource="mailto:example@example.org"/>
        <name>Jane Doe</name>
    </agent>
    ...
</gedcomx>

JSON

{
  "attribution" : {
    "contributor" : {
      "resource" : "#A-1"
    },
    "modified" : 1394175600000
  },
  ...
  "agents" : [ {
    "names" : [ {
      "value" : "Jane Doe"
    } ],
    "emails" : [ {
      "resource" : "mailto:example@example.org"
    } ],
    "id" : "A-1"
  }, ... ]
}

The Source Description

The source is represented by providing an instance of the SourceDescription data type in the root document. The following snippet demonstrates how the source is represented in both XML and JSON. The source description includes a title, a citation, a created date, and a reference to the General Registry Office, which is represented using an Agent.

XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<gedcomx xmlns="http://gedcomx.org/v1/">
    ...
    <sourceDescription resourceType="http://gedcomx.org/PhysicalArtifact" id="S-1">
        <citation>
            <value>England, birth certificate for Emma Bocock, born 23 July 1843; citing 1843 Birth in District and Sub-district of Ecclesall-Bierlow in the County of York, 303; General Registry Office, Southport.</value>
        </citation>
        <title>Birth Certificate of Emma Bocock, 23 July 1843, General Registry Office</title>
        <created>1843-07-27T00:00:00-07:00</created>
        <repository resource="#A-2"/>
    </sourceDescription>
    ...
    <agent id="A-2">
        <name>General Registry Office, Southport</name>
    </agent>
    ...
</gedcomx>

JSON

{
  ...
  "sourceDescriptions" : [ {
    "resourceType" : "http://gedcomx.org/PhysicalArtifact",
    "citations" : [ {
      "value" : "England, birth certificate for Emma Bocock, born 23 July 1843; citing 1843 Birth in District and Sub-district of Ecclesall-Bierlow in the County of York, 303; General Registry Office, Southport."
    } ],
    "titles" : [ {
      "value" : "Birth Certificate of Emma Bocock, 23 July 1843, General Registry Office"
    } ],
    "created" : -3989840400000,
    "repository" : {
      "resource" : "#A-2"
    },
    "id" : "S-1"
  } ],
  "agents" : [ {
    "names" : [ {
      "value" : "General Registry Office, Southport"
    } ],
    "id" : "A-2"
  }, ... ]
}

The Extracted Information

The information that is extracted from the source is represented as persons and relationships. An instance of the Person data type provides person information and an instance of the Relationship data type provides relationship information.

The following snippet demonstrates how the extracted information is represented in both XML and JSON. Each person is designated as extracted because the information was extracted from a single source. Each person includes a name, an id, and a reference to the source. The birth information is included on the principal person, and the occupation information is included on the father.

XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<gedcomx xmlns="http://gedcomx.org/v1/">
    ...
    <person extracted="true" id="P-1">
        <source description="#S-1"/>
        <gender type="http://gedcomx.org/Female"/>
        <name>
            <nameForm>
                <fullText>Emma Bocock</fullText>
            </nameForm>
        </name>
        <fact type="http://gedcomx.org/Birth">
            <date>
                <original>23 June 1843</original>
            </date>
            <place>
                <original>Broadfield Bar, Abbeydale Road, Ecclesall-Bierlow, York, England, United Kingdom</original>
            </place>
        </fact>
    </person>
    <person extracted="true" id="P-2">
        <source description="#S-1"/>
        <name>
            <nameForm>
                <fullText>William Bocock</fullText>
            </nameForm>
        </name>
        <fact type="http://gedcomx.org/Occupation">
            <value>Toll Collector</value>
        </fact>
    </person>
    <person extracted="true" id="P-3">
        <source description="#S-1"/>
        <name>
            <nameForm>
                <fullText>Sarah Bocock formerly Brough</fullText>
            </nameForm>
        </name>
    </person>
    ...
    <relationship type="http://gedcomx.org/ParentChild">
        <person1 resource="#P-2"/>
        <person2 resource="#P-1"/>
    </relationship>
    <relationship type="http://gedcomx.org/ParentChild">
        <person1 resource="#P-3"/>
        <person2 resource="#P-1"/>
    </relationship>
    ...
</gedcomx>

JSON

{
  ...
  "persons" : [ {
    "names" : [ {
      "nameForms" : [ {
        "fullText" : "Emma Bocock"
      } ]
    } ],
    "gender" : {
      "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/Female"
    },
    "facts" : [ {
      "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/Birth",
      "date" : {
        "original" : "23 June 1843"
      },
      "place" : {
        "original" : "Broadfield Bar, Abbeydale Road, Ecclesall-Bierlow, York, England, United Kingdom"
      }
    } ],
    "extracted" : true,
    "sources" : [ {
      "description" : "#S-1"
    } ],
    "id" : "P-1"
  }, {
    "names" : [ {
      "nameForms" : [ {
        "fullText" : "William Bocock"
      } ]
    } ],
    "facts" : [ {
      "value" : "Toll Collector",
      "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/Occupation"
    } ],
    "extracted" : true,
    "sources" : [ {
      "description" : "#S-1"
    } ],
    "id" : "P-2"
  }, {
    "names" : [ {
      "nameForms" : [ {
        "fullText" : "Sarah Bocock formerly Brough"
      } ]
    } ],
    "extracted" : true,
    "sources" : [ {
      "description" : "#S-1"
    } ],
    "id" : "P-3"
  }, ... ],
  "relationships" : [ {
    "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/ParentChild",
    "person1" : {
      "resource" : "#P-2"
    },
    "person2" : {
      "resource" : "#P-1"
    }
  }, {
    "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/ParentChild",
    "person1" : {
      "resource" : "#P-3"
    },
    "person2" : {
      "resource" : "#P-1"
    }
  } ],
  ...
}

The Analysis

Following good research process practices, the researcher writes up a document that describes her analysis of the information about Emma Bocock that was discovered. Presumably, other sources in addition to the birth record were located and their analysis would be included in the document.

The aggregated analysis, including the text of the document, is represented with another Person that references the extracted information as evidence using instances of EvidenceReference. The following snippet demonstrates how the analysis is represented in both XML and JSON.

XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<gedcomx xmlns="http://gedcomx.org/v1/">
    ...
    <person id="C-1">
        ...
        <analysis resource="#D-1"/>
        ...
        <evidence resource="#P-1"/>
        ...
    </person>
    ...
    <document id="D-1">
        <text>...Jane Doe's analysis document...</text>
    </document>
    ...
</gedcomx>

JSON

{
  "persons" : [ ... , {
    "evidence" : [ {
      "resource" : "#P-1"
    } ],
    "analysis" : {
      "resource" : "#D-1"
    },
    "id" : "C-1"
  } ],
  ...
  "documents" : [ {
    "text" : "...Jane Doe's analysis document...",
    "id" : "D-1"
  } ]
}

The Result

Here are the XML and JSON representations of the use case described above.

XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<gedcomx xmlns="http://gedcomx.org/v1/">
    <attribution>
        <contributor resource="#A-1"/>
        <modified>2014-03-07T00:00:00-07:00</modified>
    </attribution>
    <person extracted="true" id="P-1">
        <source description="#S-1"/>
        <gender type="http://gedcomx.org/Female"/>
        <name>
            <nameForm>
                <fullText>Emma Bocock</fullText>
            </nameForm>
        </name>
        <fact type="http://gedcomx.org/Birth">
            <date>
                <original>23 June 1843</original>
            </date>
            <place>
                <original>Broadfield Bar, Abbeydale Road, Ecclesall-Bierlow, York, England, United Kingdom</original>
            </place>
        </fact>
    </person>
    <person extracted="true" id="P-2">
        <source description="#S-1"/>
        <name>
            <nameForm>
                <fullText>William Bocock</fullText>
            </nameForm>
        </name>
        <fact type="http://gedcomx.org/Occupation">
            <value>Toll Collector</value>
        </fact>
    </person>
    <person extracted="true" id="P-3">
        <source description="#S-1"/>
        <name>
            <nameForm>
                <fullText>Sarah Bocock formerly Brough</fullText>
            </nameForm>
        </name>
    </person>
    <person id="C-1">
        <analysis resource="#D-1"/>
        <evidence resource="#P-1"/>
    </person>
    <relationship type="http://gedcomx.org/ParentChild">
        <person1 resource="#P-2"/>
        <person2 resource="#P-1"/>
    </relationship>
    <relationship type="http://gedcomx.org/ParentChild">
        <person1 resource="#P-3"/>
        <person2 resource="#P-1"/>
    </relationship>
    <sourceDescription resourceType="http://gedcomx.org/PhysicalArtifact" id="S-1">
        <citation>
            <value>England, birth certificate for Emma Bocock, born 23 July 1843; citing 1843 Birth in District and Sub-district of Ecclesall-Bierlow in the County of York, 303; General Registry Office, Southport.</value>
        </citation>
        <title>Birth Certificate of Emma Bocock, 23 July 1843, General Registry Office</title>
        <created>1843-07-27T00:00:00-07:00</created>
        <repository resource="#A-2"/>
    </sourceDescription>
    <agent id="A-1">
        <email resource="mailto:example@example.org"/>
        <name>Jane Doe</name>
    </agent>
    <agent id="A-2">
        <name>General Registry Office, Southport</name>
    </agent>
    <document id="D-1">
        <text>...Jane Doe's analysis document...</text>
    </document>
</gedcomx>

JSON

{
  "attribution" : {
    "contributor" : {
      "resource" : "#A-1"
    },
    "modified" : 1394175600000
  },
  "persons" : [ {
    "names" : [ {
      "nameForms" : [ {
        "fullText" : "Emma Bocock"
      } ]
    } ],
    "gender" : {
      "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/Female"
    },
    "facts" : [ {
      "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/Birth",
      "date" : {
        "original" : "23 June 1843"
      },
      "place" : {
        "original" : "Broadfield Bar, Abbeydale Road, Ecclesall-Bierlow, York, England, United Kingdom"
      }
    } ],
    "extracted" : true,
    "sources" : [ {
      "description" : "#S-1"
    } ],
    "id" : "P-1"
  }, {
    "names" : [ {
      "nameForms" : [ {
        "fullText" : "William Bocock"
      } ]
    } ],
    "facts" : [ {
      "value" : "Toll Collector",
      "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/Occupation"
    } ],
    "extracted" : true,
    "sources" : [ {
      "description" : "#S-1"
    } ],
    "id" : "P-2"
  }, {
    "names" : [ {
      "nameForms" : [ {
        "fullText" : "Sarah Bocock formerly Brough"
      } ]
    } ],
    "extracted" : true,
    "sources" : [ {
      "description" : "#S-1"
    } ],
    "id" : "P-3"
  }, {
    "evidence" : [ {
      "resource" : "#P-1"
    } ],
    "analysis" : {
      "resource" : "#D-1"
    },
    "id" : "C-1"
  } ],
  "relationships" : [ {
    "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/ParentChild",
    "person1" : {
      "resource" : "#P-2"
    },
    "person2" : {
      "resource" : "#P-1"
    }
  }, {
    "type" : "http://gedcomx.org/ParentChild",
    "person1" : {
      "resource" : "#P-3"
    },
    "person2" : {
      "resource" : "#P-1"
    }
  } ],
  "sourceDescriptions" : [ {
    "resourceType" : "http://gedcomx.org/PhysicalArtifact",
    "citations" : [ {
      "value" : "England, birth certificate for Emma Bocock, born 23 July 1843; citing 1843 Birth in District and Sub-district of Ecclesall-Bierlow in the County of York, 303; General Registry Office, Southport."
    } ],
    "titles" : [ {
      "value" : "Birth Certificate of Emma Bocock, 23 July 1843, General Registry Office"
    } ],
    "created" : -3989840400000,
    "repository" : {
      "resource" : "#A-2"
    },
    "id" : "S-1"
  } ],
  "agents" : [ {
    "names" : [ {
      "value" : "Jane Doe"
    } ],
    "emails" : [ {
      "resource" : "mailto:example@example.org"
    } ],
    "id" : "A-1"
  }, {
    "names" : [ {
      "value" : "General Registry Office, Southport"
    } ],
    "id" : "A-2"
  } ],
  "documents" : [ {
    "text" : "...Jane Doe's analysis document...",
    "id" : "D-1"
  } ]
}

Code Examples

This Java code example, found in gedcomx-java repository demonstrates how to produce the above result.

Extra Credit

Here are some other elements that a GEDCOM X processor may want to provide. These items were left out of the above example for the sake of brevity.

Multiple values for different languages may be provided for the title and citation of a source. In such a case, the “lang” property on each title and citation may be used to specify the language of the text using BCP 47. For more information, see the section about Internationalization Considerations. See also the Source Description data type and its associated representations in XML and JSON.
In addition to the name of the repository, other information about the repository may be provided, such as address, web page, e-mail, phone number, etc. For more information, see the Agent data type and its associated representations in XML and JSON.
In addition to an analysis document for the researcher’s conclusions about Emma Bocock, a researcher may also want to provide a document containing an analysis of the birth certificate itself, perhaps describing the informant, whether the source is primary or secondary, etc. For such purposes, the Source Description data type provides an analysis property that can resolve to an analysis document.
Some software allows the researcher to provide a digital image of the source that can be included in the data set and displayed along with the extracted information. In such a case, descriptions of two sources would be provided: one for the physical birth certificate, and one for the scanned image of the birth certificate. The latter description would reference the former as a source using the sources property of the Source Description, and reference the digital image by its URI using the about property. If the researcher wished to export the data, the digital image would be bundled up with the XML using the GEDCOM X File Format.
When providing a name of a person, the software may wish to prompt the user for the parts of a name in addition to (or instead of) the full text of the name. In such a case, the parts can be provided using the parts property of the Name data type.
When providing a date (such as the birth date), the software may wish to prompt the user for a specific “formalized” date value in addition to the text of the date of the birth certificate. In such a case, the formal date can be provided using the formal property of the Date data type, which conforms to the GEDCOM X Date Format.
When providing information about a place, the software may be able to prompt the user for specifics about the place, such as it’s jurisdictions, geo-coordinates, name variants, etc. In such a case, an instance of a Place Description can be provided in the document, which can be referenced using the descriptionRef property of the Place Reference data type.
When writing an analysis document, some software may allow the researcher to apply fonts, formatting and styles. In such a case, the text of the document can specify a textType property with the value of “xhtml”.