Issue 11.11
Genealogical citation expert, Elizabeth Shown Mills, recommends citing online records as published works. A simplified format for a new genealogist would be:
“Collection Title,” collection type, Website Title (home page address: accessed date), locator information; citing “Source of the information.”
*Collection Title is the name of the collection or database.
*Collection type is “index,” “images,” or “index and images”. Distinguishing collections with images from those without is essential as it indicates the strength of the source.
*Website Title is the name of the website. This is usually shown at the top of the home page.
*Home page address is the URL of the home page shown near the top of your browser window.
*Accessed date is the word “accessed” followed by the date you accessed the record.
*Locator information is the information needed to get from the home page to the cited source. Typically this will be the basic information used to search and locate the record.
*Citing “Source of the information” is the website’s source of the collection. Citing the source used by the website is essential in genealogical citations as it indicates the strength of the source. Start with the word citing. Then quote the source specified by the website, exactly as shown on the website. To indicate that you are quoting, use quotation marks.
As an example, consider the record of the 26 June 1906 marriage of Dennis Harry Dwyer and Wilsie Grafton Swepston. It would look like this:
“Arkansas County Marriages, 1837-1957,” index and images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 7 February 2011), entry for 1906 marriage of Dennis H Dwyer; citing “Arkansas Courts of Common Pleas and County Clerks. digital images of originals housed at various county courthouses in the State of Arkansas. Marriage records. FHL microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.”
As you become more proficient, you will be able to improve upon the source citation given by the website. For the example above, the improved citation might look something like this:
“Arkansas County Marriages, 1837-1957,” index and images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 7 February 2011), entry for 1906 marriage of Dennis H Dwyer and Wilcie Grafton Swesson [sic]; from Franklin County Arkansas, Marriage Records (1906-1911) Book H: 27; Franklin County Courthouse, Ozark; FHL microfilm 1,034,246.
For additional information, Shanna Jones can be reached at (435)628-4900 or shannasjones@msn.com.