Third Generation Name Matching Methods

Abstract

The previous chapters have demonstrated that none of the main sources of variation in names can be comprehensively covered by any combination of G1 or G2 Methods. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the coverage of linguistic variations, particularly those caused by the use of different transcription standards. This is to be expected, given the limited role that linguistics and onomastics played in the development of the original matching methods and the fact that many G2 Methods represent technology-driven enhancements of their earlier counterparts.

Name matching solutions of the third generation (G3 Solutions) differ from G2 Methods in that they do not simply build on an existing matching technique. Instead, the starting point for G3 Solutions is a careful examination of all the different classes of variation within names. This is the core of the paradigm shift which sets G3 Solutions apart from their predecessors: the solution design follows a comprehensive analysis of the causes of variation in spelling.