TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 1999-11 > 0943813999


From: Lee Hoffman/KY <>
Subject: Re: TMG-L: Sources
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 1999 13:33:19 -0500


Further on the topic of importing/entering data received from someone else
and regarding the sources that they give --

It is recommended that you do not cite the source that they give UNLESS
_YOU_ HAVE SEEN THAT SOURCE. Keep in mind that some day you may look back
(long after you have fogotten the details of where you got the data) and
want to verify something. If you have their source cited, you may
mis-remember and think that since you've already looked at that source, you
don't need to look at it again. In many (perhaps even most) cases, you
probably wouldn't find anything other than what is shown in your records.
BUT, there is always the possibility that _your_ source is the person that
gave you the information and that the data they gave you is incorrect (they
mis-read their source or their notes or whatever). So if you don't verify
the data and cite _their_ source, you may never know. In some (probably
very few) cases, you may then miss the one thing you need to make that
breakthrough.

Theerefore the recommendation is that if you enter the data given to you,
cite _your_ source and not their source. As someone else mentioned, you
may want to cite _your_ source and add that they cited some source. This
would keep your records straight and wouldn't lose any data while being a
definite indicator that (other citations notwithstanding) you had not seen
their source.



----------
Lee Hoffman/KY
E-mail:
My website: <http://www.users.mis.net/~lhoffman>;
--------------
A user of the best genealogy program, The Master Genealogist (TMG)

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