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Topic: Documenting Sources (Read 247 times)
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trish251
RootsChat Leaver
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 9162
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I always seem to have trouble documenting sources within genealogy software. I use FTM but have looked at various other packages for guidlines but they all seem much the same. Does anyone have any "rules" they follow.
e.g. I have a copy of grandmother's birth certificate (my father has the original extraction from register). Is the source
My father's family papers
My family papers
The registry office from which it was extracted?
The FTM help seems to indicate that almost every separate item is a "Master" source. This seems a little crazy to me so I would appreciate any suggestions.
thanks
Trish
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Linda
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 48
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I would document the source as "birth certificate" and if you want to go further you might mention if it was from the GRO or the local registry office, as it's possible something was mis-transcribed along the way.
If you are recording info from a census, you should include the piece, folio and page number e.g. RG9/1026 folio 34, page 10. This will help others to verify the information if you pass on your documentation to distant cousins or other family members.
Hope that helps.
Linda
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Nick Carver
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1261
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There must be a huge range of possible sources of information. It is intensely annoying to find software that thinks it knows better than you what to put in a particular place. As long as the information you put in works for you, then that should be enough. If the software won't let you do that, please share the information with others who may be inclined to steer clear of the same package. You wouldn't be using a Microsoft product by any chance?
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E Yorks - Carver, Steels, Cross, Maltby, Whiting, Moor, Laybourn
W Yorks - Wilkinson, Kershaw, Rawnsley, Shaw
Norfolk - Carver, Dowson
Cheshire - Berry, Cooper
Lincs - Berry
London/Ireland/Scotland/Lincs - Sullivan
Northumberland/Durham - Nicholson, Cuthbert, Turner, Robertson
Berks - May
Beds - Brownell
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trish251
RootsChat Leaver
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 9162
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Hello Nick
You seem to have my view on Microsoft! (I have never quite recovered from discovering excel thinks the world started in 1900) but no - I have found most geneology programs the same, they seem to treat a "master source" as something very specific in their help on sources, e.g. Birth certificate of NNN Registry, whereas I think a "Master Source" would simply be a Birth Registration & the description of the source would be from where it came. I'm not sure if the registration office & my copy of a certificate should be 1 or 2 sources. I think it's important to know whether the index or the full details (certificate) of a source have been sighted. I was looking for some ideas as to what others might be doing as I am accumulating so much evidence/paper I think I am starting to look up the same information twice & really need to get organised!
Thanks Linda
for your thoughts which seem to follow my way of thinking - it would be nice if there was a clear cut method.
Trish
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Keith Bateman
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 3824
.....The Cheshire Cat
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Hi Trish,
I use "The Master Genealogist" and with that you can alter the source header codes to whatever you want to call them.
I have about 20 - different census dates - parish registers - certificates -trade directories - personal, etc
It took a while to get to understand them but now when I think "where did I get that information from?" - all I need to do is click on source -
and up comes Parish records and all the information
Find it very good - one nice bit is that you can put your relationship to each person you have on the front screen -always wanted to know who my grandaunt was!!!! 
Cheers
Keith
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deadants
RootsChat Honorary
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 892
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This is how I have been using sources in FTM
deadants
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Cleary, Doran, Boland, McCooey, McManus, O'brien, Martin, Savage, Wallis, McCollister, Wood. (More to come soon)
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trish251
RootsChat Leaver
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 9162
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Hi Keith
Thanks for that - I sent a PM asking for a little more info. Hope thats OK
Hi deadants
I think your example is how FTM suggests that you do it, but I would prefer the Source title to just be Birth Certificate, OR perhaps Australian Birth Certificate, English Birth Certificate etc. I would think your file of master sources must be very long if the name of each individual is included in same?
Many thanks for the example
Trish
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deadants
RootsChat Honorary
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 892
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Yes you are correct. the list does get rather long. After the initial hard slog of putting them in you only have to put a source in when you confirm a new realative. They only come along in dribs and drabs eventualy.
Here's a link to some other software comparisons you may find helpfull.
http://genealogy-software-review.toptenreviews.com/?ttreng=1&ttrkey=family+tree+maker
deadants
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Cleary, Doran, Boland, McCooey, McManus, O'brien, Martin, Savage, Wallis, McCollister, Wood. (More to come soon)
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trish251
RootsChat Leaver
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 9162
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Thanks for the link DA. That is a really good link also for folks querying "which software should I buy". I'll add it to the main thread on that topic.
Trish
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