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Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes) (view source)
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Source footnote citations help us document, organize, and analyze the evidence gathered. They are the hallmark of quality family history. List of style guides. | [[Image:Family Group Record Frank1.png|thumb|Family group with source footnotes printed by the PAF program. Click image to enlarge it.]] [[Image:Family Group Record Frank2.png|thumb|Family group source footnotes continued. Click to enlarge.]]Source footnote citations help us document, organize, and analyze the evidence gathered. They are the hallmark of quality family history. List of style guides. | ||
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. | ||
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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!]] | ||
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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: | ||
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Most archives and libraries have already used these elements to describe the source in their catalog. So using the repository catalog helps the researcher cite the elements of the footnote in a way that will help other researchers find the same source at the same repository. | Most archives and libraries have already used these elements to describe the source in their catalog. So using the repository catalog helps the researcher cite the elements of the footnote in a way that will help other researchers find the same source at the same repository. | ||
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 == | === 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 mostly follow the ''Chicago Manual of Style''. Following the first citation in each category there is a list of the fields used in the PAF '''''Edit Source''''' and '''''Sources—Citation Detail''''' windows to create that source footnote. All footnotes in this list are only models—other researchers may choose different ways to render the same footnote information.<br> | 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 mostly follow the ''Chicago Manual of Style''. Following the first citation in each category there is a list of the fields used in the PAF '''''Edit Source''''' and '''''Sources—Citation Detail''''' windows to create that source footnote. All footnotes in this list are only models—other researchers may choose different ways to render the same footnote information.<br> | ||
=== Books (published) === | ==== Books (published) ==== | ||
''Ideal format:'' 1. Author(s), ''Title'' (Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication), volume: page number(s), [book call number; microfilm call number]. Digitized by Repository at URL (accessed date). Comment. | ''Ideal format:'' 1. Author(s), ''Title'' (Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication), volume: page number(s), [book call number; microfilm call number]. Digitized by Repository at URL (accessed date). Comment. | ||
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'''PAF <u>Edit Source</u>—''' '''''Source Title:''''' ''History of Perry County Ohio'' '''''Author:''''' Clement Luther Martzolff '''''Publication Information:''''' (New Lexington, Ohio: Ward & Weiland, 1902) '''''Repository:''''' [empty] '''''Call Number:''''' [FHL book 977.159 H2m; FHL film 897280 Item 2] '''''Actual Text:''''' [empty] '''''Comments:''''' [empty] <u>'''Sources'''</u>'''—''' '''''Film/Volume/Page Number:''''' 144-46 '''''Date record was made:''''' [empty] '''''Comments:''''' Digitized by BYU Family History Archives at http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/FH27&CISOPTR=77464 (accessed 20 January 2009). Laudatory biographical sketch. '''''Actual Text:''''' [empty]. | '''PAF <u>Edit Source</u>—''' '''''Source Title:''''' ''History of Perry County Ohio'' '''''Author:''''' Clement Luther Martzolff '''''Publication Information:''''' (New Lexington, Ohio: Ward & Weiland, 1902) '''''Repository:''''' [empty] '''''Call Number:''''' [FHL book 977.159 H2m; FHL film 897280 Item 2] '''''Actual Text:''''' [empty] '''''Comments:''''' [empty] <u>'''Sources'''</u>'''—''' '''''Film/Volume/Page Number:''''' 144-46 '''''Date record was made:''''' [empty] '''''Comments:''''' Digitized by BYU Family History Archives at http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/FH27&CISOPTR=77464 (accessed 20 January 2009). Laudatory biographical sketch. '''''Actual Text:''''' [empty]. | ||
=== Computer databases (published on compact disc) === | ==== Computer databases (published on compact disc) ==== | ||
''Ideal format:'' 2. Author(s), ''Title'' (Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication), volume: page number(s) or other data needed to find the entry. [CD call number]. Comment. | ''Ideal format:'' 2. Author(s), ''Title'' (Place of publication: Publisher, year of publication), volume: page number(s) or other data needed to find the entry. [CD call number]. Comment. | ||
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''Ideal format:'' 18. Author(s), "Article Title," ''Periodical-Title'' volume: page(s). [call number]. Comment. | ''Ideal format:'' 18. Author(s), "Article Title," ''Periodical-Title'' volume: page(s). [call number]. Comment. | ||
<blockquote>18. G. David Dilts, "Citing Sources Using the Chicago Manual of Style", UGA Genealogical Journal 24 (1996): 149-61. [FHL book 973 D25gj v. 24]. Limited Internet examples.</blockquote> | <blockquote>18. G. David Dilts, "Citing Sources Using the Chicago Manual of Style", UGA Genealogical Journal 24 (1996): 149-61. [FHL book 973 D25gj v. 24]. Limited Internet examples.</blockquote> | ||
'''PAF <u>Edit Source</u>—''' '''''Source Title:''''' "Citing Sources Using the Chicago Manual of Style" '''''Author:''''' G. David Dilts '''''Publication Information:''''' UGA Genealogical Journal '''''Repository:''''' [empty] '''''Call Number:''''' [FHL book 973 D25gj v. 24] '''''Actual Text:''''' [empty] '''''Comments:''''' [empty] '''<u>Sources</u>—''' '''''Film/Volume/Page Number:''''' 24 (1996): 149-61 '''''Date record was made:''''' [empty] '''''Comments:''''' Limited Internet examples. '''''Actual Text:''''' [empty]. | '''PAF <u>Edit Source</u>—''' '''''Source Title:''''' "Citing Sources Using the Chicago Manual of Style" '''''Author:''''' G. David Dilts '''''Publication Information:''''' UGA Genealogical Journal '''''Repository:''''' [empty] '''''Call Number:''''' [FHL book 973 D25gj v. 24] '''''Actual Text:''''' [empty] '''''Comments:''''' [empty] '''<u>Sources</u>—''' '''''Film/Volume/Page Number:''''' 24 (1996): 149-61 '''''Date record was made:''''' [empty] '''''Comments:''''' Limited Internet examples. '''''Actual Text:''''' [empty]. | ||
== Related Content == | == Related Content == | ||