Indexing, data entry and text structuring.

Des données fiables, relevées par des spécialistes.

Our operators read every document and render it as usable data: people, dates and places captured record by record, cards and tables keyed in, texts transcribed in full.

A centralised workflow tracks every batch and ensures no step is missed. For sensitive data, entry is carried out twice by two independent operators, then compared automatically.

What we handle

• Name indexing: People, dates and places, record by record.
• Data entry: Cards, registers, tables, forms.
• Transcription: Full text faithful to the original.
• Tables of contents and inventories: Keyed in a specialised editor, linked to the pages, 100% proofread.
• Records and catalogues: Keying of records, retroconversion of catalogues.
• Metadata: Dublin Core, EAD, METS, EXIF, IPTC, XMP.

Technical specifications

• Indexing: People, dates and places, record by record
• Entry: Cards, registers, tables, forms
• Transcription: Full text, faithful to the original
• Tables and records: Tables of contents, inventories, records, catalogues
• Metadata: Dublin Core, EAD, METS, EXIF, IPTC, XMP
• Output formats: CSV, XML, EAD, METS, to your specifications
• Encodage : Unicode UTF-8
• Quality control: Double keying, intermediate checks, ISO 2859 sampling, independent team

Relever ou transcrire, une même rigueur.

The same preparation and control steps, with two ways of capturing information: targeted data (indexing, cards, tables) on one side, full text on the other.

Every item is keyed twice by two independent operators, compared automatically, then resolved against the document image if they differ.

Quality control

• 01 · Contrôle intermédiaire : Après chaque étape manuelle, l’étape suivante valide la précédente : l’erreur est corrigée tout de suite.
• 02 · ISO 2859 sampling: A sample accepts or rejects each batch according to a tolerance agreed with you; a rejected batch is reworked.
• 03 · Independent final check: An independent team checks compliance with the guidelines, file naming and consistency between data and images.

La qualité, à chaque étape.

Quality built into production.

For the most sensitive data, double keying sets two independent operators side by side: software compares their entries, and an experienced operator resolves each difference against the document image.

After each manual step, an intermediate quality check validates the work of the previous step: an error is caught and corrected straight away, instead of being discovered at delivery.

A sampling check, following ISO 2859, accepts or rejects each batch according to a tolerance agreed with you. A rejected batch is reworked at no extra cost.

Deliverables that meet your standards.

Data is delivered in the formats and standards you specify, with file naming that follows your rules. Every file produced is indexed in our database, and vice versa: control tools check this consistency throughout the project.

Each delivery comes with a production report, and an account on our extranet lets you follow progress at any time.

Des données prêtes à l’usage.

Data ready to join your database, catalogue or publishing portal.

• Data files: CSV spreadsheets and XML files, structured to your fields and rules.
• Finding aids: Data and metadata in EAD format, to describe your collection.
• METS and Dublin Core: Descriptive and structural metadata linking images, data and references.
• Completed inventory: Your inventory file completed, with the data linked to the images.

Universities, museums and public bodies trust us with the data entry and indexing of their collections.

• University of Bordeaux and Bordeaux Montaigne: Data entry and structuring in XML and CSV, creation of tables of contents.
• Musée d’Orsay: Data formatting and keying of bibliographic records from salon booklets.
• Université Paris Cité: Indexing of archival documents from supplied image files.
• Musée des beaux-arts de Chambéry (fine arts museum): Transcription and data entry of printed archives.
• Hauts-de-Seine and Yvelines departments: Indexing of archival documents, XML METS metadata.
• Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Archives: Digitisation of registers and generation of metadata.

Frequently asked questions

What is name indexing, and what is it for?

It means recording, entry by entry, the people mentioned in a document, along with the associated dates and places. A register of thousands of pages becomes an index searchable by name, date or place, with every entry linking to the image of the record. Searching is instant and the originals are preserved.

What is the difference between name indexing, data entry and transcription?

Name indexing captures targeted information (people, dates, places) and produces an index. Data entry keys in cards, registers, tables or forms field by field, into a CSV or XML file. Transcription renders the full text, faithful to the original. The choice depends on the intended use, and all three can be combined.

Which metadata and standards do you use (Dublin Core, EAD, METS, EXIF, IPTC, XMP)?

EXIF, IPTC and XMP describe each image technically. Dublin Core records the title, reference, date and provenance from your inventory file. EAD describes the collection in its hierarchy, and METS links the files to the structure of the document. Our teams have used Dublin Core within the METS schema for many years, notably for the CNRS and with the BnF.

How do you guarantee the accuracy and quality of the data keyed in?

Through four levels of control: double keying, in which two independent operators enter the same information, compared automatically, with each difference resolved against the image; a check after each manual step; a sampling check following ISO 2859; and a final check by an independent team. Any batch outside tolerance is reworked at no extra cost.

How does an indexing and data entry project run, and how can I estimate its cost?

Assessment of your needs, a test on a sample, then production managed by a single point of contact, with a tracking extranet and a report at each delivery. The cost depends on volume, how difficult the handwriting is, the level of detail and the type of service. Describe your collection in our quote tool: a project manager will get back to you.