In the spirit of continuing Dialogue… I’d like offer a few comments sparked by Randy’s Seaver’s recent post at GeneaMusings, “Which census source citation should I use in RootsMagic 4?”
It’s always nice to know you’re not alone when faced with frustration or confusion. Like Randy, I sometimes puzzle over which citation template to use (in Legacy 7 , for me). I often spend more time figuring out the appropriate template than in actually inputting the information to my genealogy software program. It’s not that I am a total novice at sourcing citations; I taught high schoolers the fine art of MLA style for years. They would probably love to know that NOW, I feel their pain.
Question of the week: How do you cite photocopies of Henry M. Winsor’s military records sent to me by my mom who got them from a cousin, who got them. . . “where???” They look pretty official. Copies in spidery 19th century handwriting enumerating Muster-in and out dates, information about an injury on the “Casualty Sheet.” But, what the heck are these? Compiled Service Records? Personal Correspondence? Family Artifacts? Junk Science?
I know what my students would have done; they would create a citation style ALL THEIR OWN. It would
- suit the time available for homework (as little as possible)
- use only internet research, no library time or printed books
- be based on either what their parents did in 8th grade, or what their 23-year-old brother did for his State Bird Report
- be creative in the use of fonts, style, and color
Some of my favorite renditions included a combination MLA, Chicago, and APA. I particularly enjoyed the blending of numerical notes with parenthetical in-text citations, when presented in magenta ink in 14-point Gothic type.
I like the comments from Tina and ProGenealogists under Randy’s article; they have designed their own RootsMagic templates using EE as a guide. They must be the Smart Kids! My problem is deeper, though. I can’t even figure out what form to use from EE. Do you think my students would find out if I made my own template and label it “UFO”?
