<unclear> – BDMP Encoding Manual

Validation Information:

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Rules,Values

What is it?

The <unclear> tag indicates an uncertain reading. Especially when you've only just started encoding, <unclear> tags are your friends. It's always better to tag something as <unclear> that you're 'only' 90% certain of, than to commit to a possibly incorrect transcription. The document will be proof-read by yourself and your colleagues many times throughout the editing process, so there is plenty of time to minimize the number of <unclear> tags later on.

What to do with…

Educated Guesses

If you can hazard an educated guess regarding the content of the unclear passage, transcribe what you think it says between <unclear> tags.

For example:

If you can read this sentence, except perhaps the last four words.

Transcribe it as follows:

[xml] <seg>If you can read this sentence, except perhaps
<unclear>the last four words</unclear>.</seg>[/xml]

Completely illegible words

For completely illegible words, we use a series of x's in between <unclear> tags:

x (= one illegible letter)
xx (= an illegible two-letter word)
xxx (= an illegible word of three letters or more)

This way, you will mainly have to count the number of words in an illegible passage, rather than their individual letters.

For example:

If you can read the first part of this sentence, but are at a loss regarding the second part.

Transcribe it as follows:

[xml] <seg>If you can read the first part of this sentence,
<unclear>xxx xxx xx x xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx</unclear>.</seg>[/xml]

Partially readable words

Finally, if you think you can read certain letters in an otherwise illegible word, you can combine letters with x's (again: maximum 3 x's in a row) in between <unclear> tags.

For example:

Or perhaps you'll only be able to read a couple of letters in this sentence.

Transcribe it as follows:

[xml] <seg><unclear>Or perxxx xxx'xx onxx xx axxe tx read
x xxxle of xxx xx xxis xxxe</unclear>.</seg>[/xml]