Citing sources frustrates some researchers. They worry about format, style, and the appropriate placement of punctuation.
Don’t fret over such things. As we will see your concern should be over your cousin in Santa Fe.
If you put a date of an event in your genealogical database, include the reason. It could be
- death certificate for John Q. Rampley in the Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois, courthouse
- birth certificate for Susanna Rucker in the Orange County, Virginia, courthouse
- family bible in possession of my aunt, Mrs. Donna Askme Questions
- personal memory–he died after I graduated high school
- personal memory–they married before we moved to Idaho
Purists will frown at these citations. Let the the frown lines be their own reward. Are there a few minor details missing? Yes. Is it better than no citation at all? Yes. Those who quibble over the precise comma placement will roll their eyes. Let them roll their eyes til their sockets wear out.
Your cousin from Santa Fe who encounters your file will be glad you went to the trouble.
Worry about your cousin in Santa Fe. The purists and the quibblers will always be with us and are difficult to please. Leave them to their frowning and eye rolling. Your cousin in Santa Fe will find your citations a cool breeze refreshing their research frustration.
Remember your cousin in Santa Fe.
4 Responses
Thank you!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve owned Legacy for a good number of years and have yet to master the templates that other owners rave about. Consequently I have stayed away from recording my sources.
NO MORE!
Absolutely refreshing. No more fear!
You’re right. Something is better than nothing. And perhaps, as folks build their familiarity with basic sourcing, they may eventually improve the quality of those citations in time and with practice.