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Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes) (view source)
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Ideally, every event on a family group record would have one or more source footnotes. The information about the event came from somewhere (even if it was guessed), so we should cite the source properly. | Ideally, every event on a family group record would have one or more source footnotes. The information about the event came from somewhere (even if it was guessed), so we should cite the source properly. | ||
==Value of Source Citations== | == Value of Source Citations == | ||
The best way to judge the quality of a family group record is by its source footnotes. | The best way to judge the quality of a family group record is by its source footnotes. | ||
Citing your sources makes it easier to correlate and analyze sources against each other. It helps other researchers vet your work. It is a partial acknowledgment of the contributions of the authors you cite. Citing sources is the best way to avoid plagiarism. Also, the source in which an ancestor appears is one of the identifiers of that ancestor (like his name, date, place, and relationship identifiers). | Citing your sources makes it easier to correlate and analyze sources against each other. It helps other researchers vet your work. It is a partial acknowledgment of the contributions of the authors you cite. Citing sources is the best way to avoid plagiarism. Also, the source in which an ancestor appears is one of the identifiers of that ancestor (like his name, date, place, and relationship identifiers). | ||
==When to add source citations== | == When to add source citations == | ||
Add a source citation '''''every time''''' you add an event to a family group record. Add a source citation for '''''every event''''' mentioned on each source. The best time to enter source footnotes is at the same time as you enter the event information. [[Document AS YOU GO!|Document AS YOU GO!]] | Add a source citation '''''every time''''' you add an event to a family group record. Add a source citation for '''''every event''''' mentioned on each source. The best time to enter source footnotes is at the same time as you enter the event information. [[Document AS YOU GO!|Document AS YOU GO!]] | ||
Link each source citation to the event(s) it documents. For example, a marriage license may also divulge birth information and should be cited for both the marriage and the birth. Cite the census source for each member of the family listed. (This is easily accomplished in Personal Ancestral File (PAF) by using the '''Memorize Citation''' button, and '''Use Memorized Citation''' button.) | Link each source citation to the event(s) it documents. For example, a marriage license may also divulge birth information and should be cited for both the marriage and the birth. Cite the census source for each member of the family listed. (This is easily accomplished in Personal Ancestral File (PAF) by using the '''Memorize Citation''' button, and '''Use Memorized Citation''' button.) | ||
==What to Cite== | == What to Cite == | ||
In theory a good source citation is simply a matter of including five normal, and two optional elements: | In theory a good source citation is simply a matter of including five normal, and two optional elements: | ||
*Author | *Author | ||
*Title | *Title | ||
*Repository (for books the place published and publisher) | *Repository (for books the place published and publisher) | ||
*Date | *Date | ||
*Page | *Page | ||
*Optional library or archive call number | *Optional library or archive call number | ||
*Brief preliminary evaluation comment about the source | *Brief preliminary evaluation comment about the source | ||
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On the other hand, as researchers rely more and more on the Internet, new questions arise about how to cite sources from a “repository” that changes so often. | On the other hand, as researchers rely more and more on the Internet, new questions arise about how to cite sources from a “repository” that changes so often. | ||
==Source Footnote Style Guides== | == Source Footnote Style Guides == | ||
There are several handbooks that can help you improve the style of your source footnotes. They are '''''guides''''', not commandments from deity. They differ slightly in their suggestions. Please encourage your fellow researchers to cite sources, and avoid being overly fussy about the minutia of their citations. If you see a citation that needs improvement, encourage the author to consider one or more of these guides: | There are several handbooks that can help you improve the style of your source footnotes. They are '''''guides''''', not commandments from deity. They differ slightly in their suggestions. Please encourage your fellow researchers to cite sources, and avoid being overly fussy about the minutia of their citations. If you see a citation that needs improvement, encourage the author to consider one or more of these guides: | ||
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*ProGenealogists. “Internet Citation Guide for Genealogists,” in ''ProGenealogists'' Internet site, 1998-2007, at http://www.progenealogists.com/citationguide.htm, accessed 29 July 2008. | *ProGenealogists. “Internet Citation Guide for Genealogists,” in ''ProGenealogists'' Internet site, 1998-2007, at http://www.progenealogists.com/citationguide.htm, accessed 29 July 2008. | ||
== Citation Examples == | |||
Here are some idealized example citations as they might appear in the '''''Sources''''' field of a ''Family Group Record'' printed using the Personal Ancestral File (PAF) program. These footnotes follow the ''Chicago Manual of Style''. Following the citation there is a list of the fields used in the PAF '''''Edit Source''''' and '''''Sources—Citation Detail''''' windows to create each source footnote citation. | |||
=== Books === | |||
''Ideal format:'' 1. Author(s), ''Title'' (Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication), volume: page number(s). [book call number; microfilm call number; digitized URL]. Comment. | |||
<blockquote>1. Clement Luther Martzolff, ''History of Perry County Ohio'' (New Lexington, Ohio: Ward & Weiland, 1902), 144-46. Family History Library, 35 N. West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA, [FHL book 977.159 H2m; FHL film 897280 Item 2; digitized BYU Family History Archives http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/FH27&CISOPTR=77464]. Laudatory biographical sketch. </blockquote> | |||
'''''PAF Source Title:''''' History of Perry County Ohio '''''Author''''' Clement Luther Martzolff '''''Publication Information:''''' (New Lexington, Ohio: Ward & Weiland, 1902) '''''Repository: Call Number:''''' '''''Actual Text:''''' '''''Comments:''''' [FHL book 977.159 H2m; FHL film 897280 Item 2; digitized BYU Family History Archives http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/FH27&CISOPTR=77464] '''''Film/Volume/Page Number:''''' 144-46 '''''Date record was made:''''' '''''Comments:''''' Laudatory biographical sketch. '''''Actual Text:''''' | |||
'''Note:''' If call numbers do not fit in the call number field they can be moved to '''''Comments'''''. | |||
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== Related Content == | == Related Content == | ||
*[[Document AS YOU GO!|Document AS YOU GO!]] | *[[Document AS YOU GO!|Document AS YOU GO!]] | ||
*[[Burned Counties Research|Burned Counties Research]] | *[[Burned Counties Research|Burned Counties Research]] | ||
*[[Rookie Mistakes|Rookie Mistakes]] | *[[Rookie Mistakes|Rookie Mistakes]] | ||
*[[Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls|Solving Tough Research Problems--Overcoming Brick Walls]] | *[[Solving Tough Research Problems—Overcoming Brick Walls|Solving Tough Research Problems--Overcoming Brick Walls]] | ||
*[[Use the Information#Cite Your Sources|Use the Informatoin: Cite Your Sources]] | *[[Use the Information#Cite Your Sources|Use the Informatoin: Cite Your Sources]] | ||
[[Category:Beginners]] | [[Category:Beginners]] | ||