Issue 47.11
Since we want to add a source citation every time we add an event to a family group record, we need to know what to include. In practice the first five elements are:
Who is the author?
What is the title?
Where is the repository? Or where is the record found?
What is the date the record was made?
What page is it on?
Optional inclusions can be the library or archive call number and an evaluation of the source.
There are several handbooks that can help you improve the style of your source footnotes. They are guides and not commandments!
- University of Chicago Press. The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993.
- Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 2007.
- Mills, Elizabeth Shown.QuickSheet: Citing Online Historical Resources: Evidence! Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 2007.
- Silicon Valley PAF Users Group: Family History Documentation Guidelines, 2nd ed. San Jose, Calif.: SVPUG, 2000-2003.
- ProGenealogists. “Internet Citation Guide for Genealogists,” in ProGenealogists Internet site.
Elizabeth Shown Mills is my favorite, but you can find any of them Google the title.
For example, a book 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.
Treat online sources as publications. They have the same core elements as printed publications, so you cite the Author (or creator or owner) Title of the website, type of item, publication data and citation detail like page, section, paragraph, etc.
Ideal format: 3. Author(s), “Page-Title” in Site-Title at URL (accessed date). Comment.
For more information, contact Shanna Jones shannasjones@msn.com (435) 628-4900.
The Family History Expo 2012 to be held Feb. 24-25 is offering a screaming deal right now. If you register online now at http://www.familyhistoryexpos.com/ you will get the $39 Early Bird Special, at the door it will be $99 and after Dec. 12 it will be $59, so this is a great savings. It would also make an awesome Christmas gift for your genealogy friends you would like to have visit in February! The Keynote Speaker is Susan Easton Black. You won’t want to miss this family history demonstration held at the Dixie Center in St. George, Utah.