Duplicate Storms on the FamilySearch Family Tree

The issue of duplicate records on the FamilySearch.org Family Tree is far from resolved. However, instead of being generally spread all over the data in the program, they are clustered together in family groups like thunderstorms moving across the countryside. When these duplicate record thunderstorms are in progress, I can spend hours merging the duplicates in one family.

How does this occur? Where do these storms of duplicates come from?

First of all, it is always the case that these duplicates are NOT found by using the default duplicate search available on the Family Tree program. These clusters of duplicates are focused on individual families that are apparently duplicate free. The storms appear unexpectedly when I begin adding in information obtained from records either provided by record hints or through research. Most of the time the initial duplicates appear as records that have already been attached to someone even though the records appear to apply to the person being researched. In every case, the duplicate cannot be seen by doing a duplicate search but only appears when the ID number is copied and the merge is done from the ID number. Finding one such duplicate usually sets off the storm and one merge immediate produces more records and even more duplicates. The only solution is to continue merging duplicates until they run out.

This entire process is often additionally frustrated by inaccurate Record Hints. I find these duplicate storms most commonly in English records that have been subjected to International Genealogical Index or IGI extraction. The situation with these records is also further complicated by extraneous family members who do not belong to the target family. Many times, accurate IGI records are mixed in with inaccurate ones. Sometimes these duplicates are obvious. Here is one obvious example:

The obvious duplicates are the two children with the same names, places, and dates. However, a search for a duplicate on Mary Ann Gwillium, KWJX-WRK does not show a duplicate:

 What will probably happen with this family is that I will merge the two obvious duplicates by using the ID number and then begin to do some basic research to see if there are any additional children etc. and I will begin to find a huge storm of duplicate entries for all of the family members that will take me many hours to unravel. The duplicate above is merely the first hint of rain in the coming storm of duplicates.

Here is a screenshot showing that the two entries really were duplicates.

This situation can go on for hours of research and merging.