[Ben]

Hi Sue. Do both websites cite the same source for their data?

[Ben]

Hi Marscha. I’m very interested in checking out this system of templates. Thanks for pointing it out. I’ll get back to you with a follow-up post here.

[Ben]

I agree Marcos. In fact, Practical Citation sprang from my larger work of creating an interactive learning environment for the whole family history research practice, focused on the goal of helping learners create a family history that their relatives want to know and share. Practical Citation is a small part of those methods and the first to be made public. Evaluating evidence, reaching sound conclusions, and documenting both are another big topic. Finally, turning those conclusions into stories is the magical final part that speaks to all people–we’re made to enjoy stories and storytelling.

[Ben]

I think a good next step would be to create a customizations topic in this forum so that people with those ideas can share them and others can find and discuss them.

I’ve created the new forum then renamed and moved this topic.

[Ben]

Hi Roger. All sources imported into RootsMagic come in that way. Well, there’s one exception that I know of: sources exported by RootsMagic and subsequently imported will come in using the source templates.

[Ben]

Hi Sue. Your way works too! It doesn’t seem as clean as Marc’s customization though.

I’ve moved this thread into the Reunion 10 specific forum and pinned it so it stays near the top for others to easily find.

What do you think of adding this (and other future) customizations to an optional customizations section?

[Ben]

Hi Roger. I’m confused. Are you referring to Descriptive Title? If so, that should come across as the source name; that’s what it is.

[Ben]

Hi Marc.

I think it’s a good idea within the space of Reunion 10. My initial impression is that I’m not keen on including it as a standard component in Practical Citation because it isn’t necessary to serve the primary purposes of source citation. It may fit better as an optional component. That would depend on whether the GEDCOM tag for it (which I think would be the ABBR tag) is safely imported and exported across all the leading genealogy software, which I doubt, but haven’t tested.

All that said, I think your reasoning for adding it to your Practical Citation source type are sound and it’s a clever add-on. It’s probably not critical that it can survive GEDCOM exchange; although it would be nice.

Anybody else care to weigh in? I could include a section on optional fields for Reunion 10 if members find it compelling.

[Ben]

Hi Roger.

Rest assured, I’m not taking your questions negatively. We’re exploring this together.

1. I used the full name, George, instead of the abbreviation because that’s how I thought it would most likely be found in a search. Using the abbreviation could work out fine too. Give it a test.

2. This is one of those times where a search of the world-wide-web isn’t necessary; the address of the record is in the citation. If we pretend for a moment that we’re in the future and FamilySearch.org is no more an Internet search may be appropriate. When I just did the search on Google for “Return of Births, Mason Co., Michigan, 1881, Mason County Clerk, FamilySearch” I found that the first result was the lead I needed. It led me to a page for Michigan resources on a site called “Access Genealogy.” I scrolled down to the heading “Michigan Vital Records” then clicked the first link under that, “Michigan Birth Records 1867-1902.” That sent me to FamilySearch.org. I used the catalog to search for resources by place name (Mason, Michigan). Under “Michigan, Mason – Vital Records” the first link is: “Birth records 1867-1919; birth index 1867-1976.” From there I can get the film number for 1881. I could also just search for the person of interest with the location and date information from the source or event in my family file.

3. FamilySearch published the image I looked at in the second example just like Internet Archive published the images of the book in the first example. The difference is that it was easy for me to identify the publisher of the physical book in the first example and I thought it would be more likely to help me or another researcher to find the source in the future. When I’m creating a citation I’m thinking about how the source might be best found in the future. I’m realizing now that I don’t mention that at all in the guide.

4. Thanks for the suggestion; I’ve added it to my list.

[Ben]

Hi Roger.

Thank you for sharing your thought provoking questions. My answers to your numbered questions follow.

1. The Michigan Legislature is listed on the title page as “Published by authority of”

2. The title page states that the book was published under the direction of George H. Brown, the Adjutant General. A later page acknowledges the Assistant Adjutant General, George H. Turner, for compiling the volume.

3. Should someone (including me) need to examine the source, what will matter is where it can be found at that time, not where it was in the past. Where I found it is largely irrelevant because of the pace of change, especially given that it will be in your research journal. I contend that painstakingly noting the repository of sources is a holdover of the brick-and-mortar past.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Ben.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Ben.

[Ben]

@suzivegemite:
“the thought of deleting any information makes me nervous”
Understandably so! Can you post an example of what would end up in the Practical Citation fields and what would be deleted?

[Ben]

I apologize. The download is fixed now.

[Ben]

Hi Tom. You’re absolutely correct. I had an incorrect link and the “what” should have included that the source was volume 17 in a set. I’ve updated the guide. You can download it by clicking “MEMBERS” on the navigation bar then click the download link on your account page.

As for the trouble you’ve had converting from Legacy, you’ve run right into the sort of mess Practical Citation is designed to prevent. I haven’t tested the import of a Practical Citation GEDCOM to TNG yet. That said, I’m very confident it will go smoothly.

[Author]

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