Database Editor Job Description

 
Editors are the life-blood of AFAOA. They maintain our 70 databases and correspond with other Austin researchers.
 
We recommend starting by maintaining the database that contains your Austin line. That will help you familiarize yourself with the proper procedures for ensuring the integrity of the database. 
 
As an Editor, your main task will be to correspond with other Austin researchers and answer queries. You will need to analyze any data you receive for accuracy, and add it to the database once verified. This is how we identify errors in our databases and keep our databases current. You do not need to be an expert genealogist, but should be well practiced in research, documentation, and history of your particular family. Our expert genealogists are available should you need help.
 
The requirements for one to be an Editor are: 
  1. Must be a member in good standing of the AFAOA.
  2. Provide a presence on the website for his or her database, providing ready responses to user inputs making queries, providing new data, corrections, identifying errors, etc.
  3. Must be aware of and practice the content of the Editor’s Guide.
  4. Must be reasonably practiced in genealogical research, familiar with the use of various sources available on-line, libraries, etc.
  5. Be prepared to exercise the necessary skepticism toward user inputs, and be willing to pursue verification of claimed user data if deemed necessary. Here the genealogists are available to assist.
  6. Must be able to easily interface with users, the AFAOA database chairman and with the genealogists for backup support via AFAOA webmail.
  7. Become proficient with the editing process utilizing the TNG software, a proficiency best gained by use of the software.
 
The responsibilities of the Editor are:
  1. Recognize that database content is propriety information of the AFAOA. The Editor must never reveal significant quantities of the database content over and beyond that which is available to the user on the web site. 
  2. Must continuously guard against the possibility of revealing data on living persons, or private data on the web site. This is very important because of the huge penalties for doing so written into recent Government privacy rules in both the U.S. and Europe.
 
 Please contact the Database Chairman at database.chair@afaoa.org for more information.