Download 200707-Carol-Whitton

Trouble Shooting Reports
I.
Introduction
A. Goal = readable TMG narrative reports with (1) correct punctuation and
grammar, (2) interesting sentences, and (3) correct sources.
B. Why not simply type text in Word or type the sentences as memos?
1. New information may change a sentence or event.
2. Changes made to data not automatically reflected in text.
C. Problems commonly encountered in narrative reports.
1. Use of primary name vs. common names
2. Pronouns
3. Incorrect punctuation
4. Memos duplicating for every person in event
5. Lack of paragraphs
6. Footnote numbers not with text
7. “Unknown” for persons, places, or dates actually in the data
8. Excluding sensitive data
9. Uninteresting and repetitive sentences
D. TMG features used to fix reports--name fields, sort dates, right click menu,
report options, memos, vertical pipe stems as dividers, sentences (both
principal and witness sentences).
Remember to edit individual sentences, NOT global sentence templates!
To return to default sentence, erase entire changed sentence and close box.
Find sentence variables list in Help, variables.
II.
“Unknown” persons, places, and dates
A. Variable not conditional < > in sentence structure and needs to be.
B. If imported, mixture of TMG and imported roles and sentence structures.
III.
Names & pronouns problems
a. Use alternative names for different events (name box on event)
b. Right click menu selections including him/her, etc.
c. She/he results automatically from full name selection.
d. P1 and P2 = always in same place; P and PO vary position depending on
subject of sentence.
IV.
Punctuation problems
A. Embedded memos set off from sentence with a semicolon instead of a period.
1. Results from [M] not in sentence and memos ON in report options.
2. Write in sentence rather than memo field
3. Or add [M] to sentence.
B. Automatic double commas or periods--Examine sentence structure
1. Remove extra punctuation you added.
2. Change location variables to include only those fields for which you have
data, such as L4 and L5 instead of just L.
© Carol Whitton, [email protected], 703-281-3790
6/27/2017
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V.
Duplicate memos for all witnesses to an event. Make report options consistent
with all sentences for individual.
A. If [M] is NOT in sentence, then report options =
1. Memo tab = Unselect “Include memos from witnessed events.”
2. Tags tab = exclude witnessed events.
B. If sentence contains [M] variable:
1. Remove [M] from sentence
2. Change it to <[M0]>
3. Enter -- to delete entire sentence, so default sentence doesn’t return.
VI. Creating paragraph breaks & placing footnote numbers with appropriate text.
A. Right click to add carriage returns and/or tabs to sentence.
B. Add [:CR:] and/or [:TAB:]
1. At end of memo or sentence = results in source reference or note number at
beginning of next paragraph.
2. At beginning of memo will leave first few words of text in previous
paragraph, unless [M] is the first or only data field printed from that tag.
3. Best placement = beginning of Tag Sentence.
4. Alternative = create custom tag for paragraph creation containing only [:CR;]
and/or [:TAB:]. Problem = results in an additional period.
5. Alternative = create custom versions of common tags with embedded control
codes, then use these versions when new paragraph is desired.
VII.
Excluding sensitive data = turned on or off in report options
A. Curley brackets {} sensitive
B. Single dash – exclude
C. Double dash -- permanent exclusion
VIII.
More interesting, non-computer generated, Text
A. Edit individual sentences (both principal and witness)!!! Add interesting
information about the individual to his sentence structure.
B. Use M1-M9 and pipe stems || (in right click menu) to divide items.
C. Also divide parts of sources with ||
IX. Miscellaneous
A. Prevent breaking a phrase with word wrap: Insert non-breaking character
space from right-click menu.
B. Print memo only once with all references to same footnote number. Report
options, memos tab, unique.
C. Sources = same number
1. Check unique = eliminates all short form notes made with Ibid.
2. Check “suppress citation details” for different page numbers in CD.
© Carol Whitton, [email protected], 703-281-3790
6/27/2017
2