Uncover problems in the data in your tree

Nick Peers reveals how to use FTAnalyzer to check for errors and missing information

To give your research the once-over, you can’t do much better than the fabulous, free Family Tree Analyzer ( ftanalyzer.com), available for Windows and Mac via their respective app stores (search for ‘FTAnalyzer’). The last time we examined the program, back in issue 139 (June 2018), we focused on its tools for finding war veterans and missing census records. This time we’re going to examine its tools for helping you spot both potential errors and gaps in your research. Note: the Mac format is a cut-down version of its Windows equivalent, but supports many of the tools covered here.

FTAnalyzer works with the universal GEDCOM format, so to start you’ll need to convert your research file from your current program. Look for an ‘Export’ option – under the ‘File’ menu in Family Tree Maker and RootsMagic, for example. Select GEDCOM as the output format, include everyone in your tree (to keep the file size down, don’t export media files if prompted), then save it somewhere sensible.

Note that FTAnalyzer won’t make changes to your tree’s data. Once problems are identified, open your main program to locate and fix issues.

1 Open GEDCOM File Open FTAnalyzer and choose ‘File > Open GEDCOM file’. Browse to the folder containing your GEDCOM file, select it and click ‘Open’. Wait while FTAnalyzer loads the file and analyses it – once complete, click ‘OK’ to read a summary of the file.

2 View Summary Of Problems Switch to the ‘Errors/Fixes’ tab. A complete list of potential problems with your research will be listed – by default, the list is sorted according to the type of error, but you can sort the list alphabetically by name instead by clicking the ‘Name’ column header as shown above.

3 Filter Problems List Windows users will see a series of filters above the list, all ticked by default. If you’d like to focus on a specific error (or selection of errors), untick all of the unwanted filters. Alternatively, click ‘Clear All’ before ticking one or more categories for a focused list of problems.

4 View Problems In Detail The error description should give you a reasonable idea of what FTAnalyzer considers to be the problem with any specific fact. To review the individual in more detail, double-click the error’s entry in the list to open a separate ‘Facts Report’ window detailing all recorded facts for that individual.

5 View Fuzzy Births And Deaths FTAnalyzer can also display all of the individuals in your tree for whom you don’t have exact birth or death years. To review these, switch to ‘Loose Births’, ‘Loose Deaths’ or – Windows only – ‘All Loose Info’. Choose ‘Export > Loose Births/Deaths to Excel’ to generate a spreadsheet of the list.

6 Locate Gaps In Your Research The ‘Research Suggestions’ tab will help you identify information missing from your records in the form of birth, marriage and death dates, and entries in relevant censuses. Simply clicking one of the buttons shown will list everyone in your tree; first, add a filter – the next box shows how.

7 Apply Filters You can limit your search for missing information to a specific surname (type it into the ‘Surname’ box or click ‘Select Random Surname’) or family, selected from the ‘Family Filter’ dropdown list. Use the tick boxes on the left to further refine the selection by relationship type.

8 View Potential Gaps Once your filters are in place, click one of the report buttons to view all matching individuals. A series of coloured boxes indicates the quality of the information you have – from green for good to red for poor or missing. Roll your mouse over each box for a detailed explanation.

9 Hunt For Missing Information You can quickly search the web for any missing information. Use the dropdown menus at the top to select your chosen website and region then, to perform the search through your browser, double-click the relevant box beneath the census or birth, marriage and death information you want to check.