TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 1999-12 > 0944178444


From: "Mills" <>
Subject: Re: TMG-L: Sourcing unpublished papers
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 17:47:24 -0600


In response to my comments of yesterday, Scot asked:

<Would it be possible for you to give Wholly Genes whatever information they
need to create a TMG template for this type of source. I, for one, could use
it yesterday. Since they use your text to create their templates, maybe they
would place this template on their web site for our consumption or at least
include it in the next TMG upgrade. . . . >

Scot, TMG templates are Wholly Genes' own proprietary forms, based upon WG's
own "interpretation" of the 105 categories for which Evidence! provides
actual models. As periodically pointed out on this list, WG did not "use
[my] text to create their templates."

Continuing, Scot wrote:
<If this is not possible could you please post enough specific information
for a novice TMG user to be able to create an appropriate custom source
template? (One which will hopefully conform to the future TMG created one.)>

I did "post" it, Scot -- in print form <g>. The 3 Evidence! models I cited
yesterday provide the pattern needed -- i.e., "research report," "thesis"
and the Henry James Young typescript model under "marriage
record."

When the next edition of Evidence! comes out, I'll create a category with
the specific name "Manuscript--Compiled Account" or something equally
descriptive. But a rose by any name is still a rose. Whether the manuscript
is called a compiled account or a thesis or a research report, or whatever,
so long as the descriptive qualities are the same, the formats are
interchangeable.

It's the *descriptive qualities* that we genealogists need to focus on --
not an arbitrary record label. Michelle's example does a good job of
illustrating why. If the "Manuscript--Compiled Account" is in private
possession, the qualities or elements that need to be described in our
source citation are not all the same as those of a "Manuscript--Compiled
Account" in an archive. If the "Manuscript--Compiled Account" is a piece of
unpublished writing, in narrative style, with an actual title, its qualities
are not the same as if the "Manuscript--Compiled Account" is a set of group
sheets such as those Lee referred to in a separate message. Probably, I'll
end up adding several variants for this general label.

And, just in case there are now folks on the list rolling their eyeballs
over all this "rigamarole" -- which is how a lot of people view source
citations in the first place <vbg> -- I might should add one thing more. The
reason I've emphasized the value of each of us analyzing for ourselves the
descriptive qualities or elements we need to identify in each citations,
instead of just looking for a label and corresponding blanks to fill in, is
that this evaluation is the first step in analyzing the degree of
reliability we can put upon the details in that record. There's more than
madness to the method!

So now, having done none of what you've asked, Scot, I hope I've still
helped somewhat.

Elizabeth Shown Mills


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