 absolutely NO substitute for verifying the information in the original records. All indexes, databases and other publications should be used as pointers to original records which you must access at some point to ensure the accuracy of your research.
Always remember, your research is the legacy you leave to others - verify all information you find!
source: Public Record Office:
A general press release has been issued about the successful outcome of recent negotiations. As promised we can now give users (and potential users) some more details about the project.
The contract :
The contract has been awarded to the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). DERA is the largest research organisation of its kind in Western Europe and is a centre of excellence for science, technology and evaluation. DERA has teamed with a number of sub-contractors to undertake this project. The sub-contractor who will undertake the transcription of the data is the Enterprise and Supply Service.
Charging: key principles
The basic principle for deciding on the level of fees is that it should be set to recover the full costs of the service. We believe that we will achieve this proper recovery of costs by making the service as inexpensive as possible to maximize its use.
If the success of the service is such that other income is received than is required to cover the costs of the 1901 census, then it will be invested in digitising the other censuses. We are underwriting some of the costs and have continuing costs of setting up and running the project.
The charges detailed below are indicative only and may well change before 2002. Some are still under consideration but we felt it important to give users some idea of the levels of charges we are proposing for the various searches.
1. Free index
There will be free access to a basic index which will allow users to search by name and place. This part of the index can be searched as many times as you like free of charge.
2. Searches and transcriptions
To view a transcription of the details of an individual will probably cost about 50p. If you are having difficulty finding an individual then there may be the option of a more advanced search. The details of how this would work are still under consideration. Again we would expect each search to cost about 50p.
3. Viewing an image
If you wish to view an image of a page we expect it to cost about 80p. If you have the appropriate facilities at home you may wish to print the image. Alternatively we could provide a copy of the image and post it out. The charge would be in line with the current PRO Reprographics charges for orders by post.
4. Minimum advance purchase
The cost of administration makes it uneconomic to charge in very small units so there will a minimum payment in advance for charged searches and images. This will probably be about £5 and will buy you multiples of transcripts, advanced searches or images. For example, having paid the advance charge you would be able to view around ten transcripts. However, anything beyond the first £5 will be simple pay-as-you-go at the cost of each individual transaction.
Regular users will be able to pay a higher entry charge and then benefit from reduced search and copy charges. The entry charge would be valid for a longer period.
We are still in the early stages of determining the charging levels and the different types of searches available so nothing is set in stone at this point.
Access to microfiche
We will provide access to a set of microfiche of the returns along with the standard finding aids. The location and details for this are not yet finalised but it is likely to be at the PRO site at Kew and on a similar basis to other microform records. In addition we will, as usual, be making microfiche available for sale to local record offices and local studies libraries.
Market Research and Consultation
Market research will continue throughout the contract period. We will continue to hold briefing sessions for users and keep you up to date with information on our web site, in the FRC newsletter and on the no