Citations are not stressed in genealogy because some retired English teacher needed something to do. There’s a reason. Not all versions of a record are created equally and knowing the site you used to find something, even a digital image, can help you (or someone else) analyze it later. One website may have only posted selected images (as HeritageQuest Online did for Revolutionary War pensions) or accidentally “cut off” parts of images that were posted. Some books of extracts and abstracts may have only included “selected documents.” Clearly indicating from where something was obtained lets you (or someone else) know the version that was used. Then later it’s easier to decide if more work needs to be done. And it is ok if your citation does not fit […]
Don’t assume your ancestor would not be in a paper, because “our family didn’t warrant any mention.” You never know when your ancestor might have been in an organization that caused him to get mentioned, got into legal trouble, received a pension, or any of a number of things that might have caused his name to appear in print. He might have even written a letter encouraging his fellow farmers to grow more winter wheat as the United States approached the first World War. ———————————— Check out GenealogyBank’s Offer for Tip of the Day Fans!
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