Presenting the Self: Record Linkage and Referring to Ordinary Historical Persons

The correspondence between a nominal entry and an historical person remains a central problematic in the practice of nominal record linkage. Failed linkage is generally assumed to be due to source defects either in the construction or the reproduction of the nominal list. The purpose of this paper is explain that variations in nominal data for ordinary persons are not necessarily a function of error, but rather a reflection of conscious decisions by individuals to filter their own data in ways which suit their own concerns.

Drawing on the ideas of Erving Goffman, an attempted explanation is made as to how and why individuals present their self in different ways in different circumstances, so creating uncertainty in the linkage process.