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Archiver > TMG > 2001-07 > 0994111462


From: Lee Hoffman <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Comments on Writing the Book 2
Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2001 18:04:22 -0400
In-Reply-To: <003a01c102f4$95961000$635f9c18@flfrd1.on.wave.home.com>


Ken Wood wrote:
>I've only just started, but I seem to be falling further behind. The
>latest problem involves Bibliographic Entries. For example, the BE for a
>birth registration takes the form
>
>[REPOSITORY ADDRESS]. [RECORD TYPE]. [SUBJECT] entry.
>
>If you have given your own collection as the first repository for the
>source, you will be faced with a long list of BE's which consist of your
>address, the type of record and the name of the Subject. Like this is
>gonna help. It looks really dumb.
>
>Referring to Mills' book on Citations, I find find there are two
>recommended formats for BEs. The style which emphasizes Location us used
>where a number of records are used from that collection of records. The
>style which emphasizes the person is used where only one record on a
>single individual is cited to that source.
>
>Since I have, for better worse, chosen the second style in naming sources,
>I think I should change the style that TMG imposes. And I think that's
>going to be quite a job. That being a daunting prospect, I have not
>decided what to do for the moment.
>
>I think this illustrates another point, to wit: many of the difficulties
>we encounter with TMG are not really that; they are difficulties with
>style, planning, and our own lack of experience in managing records.

Keep in mind that the Source Category Templates are only Wholly Genes'
interpretation of Mills' model citations. Thus you may disagree with them
and either modify their Templates/Patterns or create Custom Source
Categories.

Personally, in the case of the Mills "Birth Registration (Local Level)"
Source Category Templates deigned by Wholly Genes, I disagree with the
Bibliography Template (as you note above). I do not think it fairly
represents Mills intentions and thus I have modified the Template to:
[REPOSITORY ADDRESS]. [REPOSITORY]. [RECORD TYPE]. [SUBJECT] entry.

This adds the name of the Repository to the Template as called for by
Mills' model.

In regard to your concern, I think you would be better served by selecting
a different Source Category. The two Birth Registration Source Categories
would best be used with original records such as in a clerk's office
(local) or in the state records. Even if you have photocopies of these
records, I would recommend that the Repository be the original records
located in the clerk's office or state records.

But if you have the original birth registration record given to the
parents, then you should be using the Source Category based on Mills' model
for Marriage Record (probably the church certificate variation). This may
need to be modified to fit you specific need while retaining the intent of
Mills to provide the necessary information to allow the reader to find the
source later. Note the Bibliographic entry for the certificate option of
this Source Category places the spouses names at the beginning of the entry
and thus sorts on that rather than the Repository or Repository Address.

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

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