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Archiver > TMG > 2002-08 > 1028303698


From: "Stuart Armstrong" <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Mills Source for Memorial?
Date: Fri, 02 Aug 2002 09:54:58 -0600
References: <5.1.0.14.2.20020731220425.0211f560@pop3.norton.antivirus><5.1.0.14.2.20020801085300.030fdc40@pop3.norton.antivirus><002601c23980$17e55da0$45cfd043@oemcomputer><3D49CA99.CA21AB97@bellatlantic.net>
In-Reply-To: <3D49CA99.CA21AB97@bellatlantic.net>


>Actually in a Census source I do not enter the HoH at all. The ED,
>Sheet and Line numbers are more than adequate to find the entry.

I not only put the HoH, but the household number, family number, all the members of the household, and most of the data that is there. If I go to the trouble of looking up a census record I don't ever want to have to do it again for some little piece of data I forgot to record or can't remember where I put it. I want to be able to compare the census data at any time with other evidence I may collect, such as the subsequent census year data. I am a firm believer in recording not only WHERE I found the evidence, but WHAT I found. The result is very long CD's, which some would probably consider overkill. But I have developed a standard format for recording it. For all my source types I have split the CD as follows, for example:

[TITLE]<, [SUBTITLE]><, [CD1]>; <[REPOSITORY]><, [REPOSITORY ADDRESS]><, [REPOSITORY REFERENCE]><. Data: [CD2]>.

The result in essence is that at the very end of the citation there will be a period, two spaces, the word "Data", a colon, and then all the data I found in that source.

Some people put all this data in another tag designed for the purpose, which is also a good method, or in the research log. The important thing is that you put it somewhere. I think the key to deciding where you want to put it is to think about where or if you want it to print. I always specify footnotes (not embedded) and I always include the memos to print. So if I want it to appear in the body of a report I put it in the memo; and if I want it to appear in the footnote, then I put it in the CD; and if never -- in a Research tag.

For questionable sources or junk research found on the internet or emailed to me undocumented (if it has potential as a lead) I make use of a custom RESEARCH tag and paste it all in the memo. I have some of these that run into dozens of pages. I never print them. If someone tells me they found such and such on a census, I cite the person, not their source, and then add "citing ..." and the source they are quoting.

Incidentally, I use a "one-size-fits-all" approach to source citations. I have only six source types, and they work surprizingly well. Two of the types are used for 95 percent of all citations. The end result is very close to Mills in most instances. If anybody is interested, I'll elaborate under a different thread heading.

Stuart Armstrong
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web page: http://cgi.aros.net/~stuarta

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