Do source citations continue to be a challenge for you? My colleague, Lisa Stokes AG, has developed a simplified method and course to help any level of genealogist. She shares her journey of discovering how to construct clear and consistent citations in this article. To learn more, see Lisa’s course description at Genealogy Source Citations Simplified, and follow her blog.
Enjoy this fresh, new look at source citations!
Diana
By Lisa Stokes, AG
Does crafting solid genealogy reference note citations overwhelm you? Do you ever wonder why you really need to write proper source citations? Are you ever tempted to say, “I’ll write this citation later,” only to find later never happens? As a professional genealogist, crafting proper source citations (also called full reference notes) is an absolute must. A client report without clear and consistent source citations is not a complete report. But there are many more equally important reasons for all serious genealogists and family historians to learn how to quickly and easily craft proper source citations.
The Purpose of Genealogy Source Citations
What is a genealogy source citation, and why is it essential to write clear, consistent, and articulate source citations for genealogy research projects? A genealogy source citation is a statement about a source that describes what the source is, who created the source, where and when the source was created, and where the source is now located.
Proper source citations improve research credibility by:
• Creating a pathway so that the researcher and anyone reading the research report or research log can locate each unique source quickly and efficiently
• Allowing the writer to evaluate the state and validity of the source found and express that to others
• Helping the writer communicate the details of the source, such as titles, source creator, access information, reliability, etc.
• Showing solid organization of the research and that reasonably exhaustive research was conducted
• Allowing the researcher to verify the research as their own original work
Several years ago, as I began the accreditation process with the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional GenealogistsSM (ICAPGen), I remember being completely overwhelmed when I learned about the importance of writing professional citations. I was proud of my citations up to that point. They were very basic citations which included Author-Name-Date-Locators, just like I learned in high school and university English classes. Although I was citing my sources, I really had no idea what I was doing.
I sat down with my trusty Kindle version of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, and began crafting my first professional genealogy reference note citation. It took me an hour and a half to compose it. I remember thinking what a ridiculous amount of time it took and doubted I could ever learn to do this task quickly and efficiently. I attempted my second reference note citation and shaved a whopping five minutes off my time. But I stuck with it and soon learned valuable strategies to speed up the process. Now, I can thoroughly examine a source and craft a well-thought-out citation in much less time with much better results. Call me a citation nerd, but I actually like writing citations now!
My Road to “Genealogy Source Citations Simplified“
As mentioned previously, I first learned to write proper source citations from Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills, a master teacher and researcher. I then delved into Mastering Genealogical Documentation by Thomas W. Jones Ph.D., CG. His clear and concise writing spurred me to the next level of understanding. I eventually bought a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style as a reference. I gathered many different templates to build my citation template bank using these sources.
Still, there were many choices and nuances that bogged me down. My template collection was inconsistent and needed work. Then I read an article by Paul K. Graham, AG, CG, CGL in the Association of Genealogy Professionals Quarterly called “Cite Anything: A Unified Approach to Crafting Citations,” and my style and citation system finally came together. This concept was the last piece of the puzzle. Paul promotes the idea of a citation structure divided into two parts
1) information about the source
2) the access information for that source
Using Paul’s two-part concept, I reorganized my master citation template. Notice that a semicolon separates the information section and the access section.
With a source citation system that made complete sense to me and one overall master template in place, I worked on fine-tuning my collection of record-type templates. I use these templates to create a unique source citation when encountering each source in my research. Having a bank of record type templates has been essential in my work as a professional genealogist.
Last year, several of my accreditation clients asked me to teach a source citation course for them, which I decided to call “Genealogy Source Citations Simplified.” My goal was to eliminate confusion, frustration, and mystery about crafting clear and consistent genealogy source citations. It was gratifying to witness my students discover that source citations can be constructed quickly and easily, without stress and anxiety. The course includes Zoom presentations with recordings to rewatch, a digital syllabus, homework, and peer reviews. As a bonus to the course materials, my students received a complete copy of my entire Record Type Template Bank.
Types of Genealogy Source Citations
Three common source citation formats are:
• Full Reference Note: This type, commonly referred to as a “source citation” or a “footnote citation,” uses a footnote format to specifically cite the source and information addressed in the report.
• Subsequent Reference Note: A shortened subsequent footnote citation is only used after the full reference note has been previously used in the report.
• Source List Entry: This type of citation is often referred to as a “bibliography” or a “resource list.” It is a general citation covering an entire resource used to create an authored work. It can be found in a book, at the end of a chapter, in a syllabus, at the end of a published article, at the end of a presentation, etc. They have a different punctuation style than a full reference note. These citations are not intended to cite specific facts or data in a report.
Source Citation Structure
Writing citations is a flexible and purposeful task. The researcher has the freedom to be descriptive and expressive, as long as the citations follow a pattern of consistency. Each researcher has the freedom to develop their own system and style of crafting source citations. Consider creating a style guide to establish the rules you will follow when writing citations.
Follow three general guidelines when developing a citation style:
Guideline #1: Consult Known Citation Styles
When developing a source citation style guide, most genealogists researching in U.S. regions follow the basic guidelines for the Humanities Style from the Chicago Manual of Style. This style is most effective for citing historical works and aligns well with genealogical sources. Two additional well-known reference books are Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills and Mastering Genealogical Documentation by Thomas W. Jones.
When researching in a foreign region, consult source citation guides from foreign repositories when establishing your source citation style guide. Guidelines for foreign areas can be found at repositories, libraries, or universities in the region. Most foreign national archives have adopted a citation style for citing genealogical sources found within their repository. Search the website or inquire at the repositories to discover the system used.
Guideline #2: Learn Proper Punctuation Rules
Punctuation conventions such as italics, parentheses, quotations marks, and colons add meaning to the citation and shouldn’t be used haphazardly. One of my favorite deep dives was learning about punctuation by reading and studying Chapter 5 of Mastering Genealogical Documentation by Thomas W. Jones. For foreign regions, follow known punctuation conventions for the region of research and the system used there.
Let’s review some of the most important punctuation rules to keep in mind when writing a genealogy citation.
A full reference note or source citation is a sentence:
• It starts with a capital
• It ends with a period
• Commas separate all elements
• Semicolons separate larger sections or a citation within a citation
Italics denote the title of a published source.
Examples: Publication titles of books, journals, and websites
“Quotation Marks” denote the named parts of a published work.
Examples: A chapter in a book, a database on a website, an article in a journal, a page on a website, etc.
Examples of website parts: Titles of files, databases, pages, collections, and record groups
“Quotation Marks” are also used for titled but unpublished material.
Note: Use your own words, without italics or quotation marks, to describe a work that is untitled and unpublished, such as an untitled family group sheet, letter, interview, etc.
(Parentheses) surround the word or grouping of words that refer to or restate the previous phrase or word. Commas are not used between the focus word or phrase and the opening parenthesis. Notice there is no comma between Ancestry.com and the opening parenthesis in this example.
Example: Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 April 2022).
Commas, Colons & Semicolons:
• A comma (,) separates items in a series. If quotation marks are present, commas and other punctuation always reside inside of them. A comma also follows a closing parenthesis, such as when the page number follows publication information.
• A colon (:) announces the word(s) or list that follows, connects the place of publication and the publisher, connects the volume and page number in a periodical or other work, and is used between the URL and the access date with one extra space before the colon.
• A semicolon (;) differentiates sections and layers of the citation.
Guideline #3: Write Clear and Consistent Source Citations
And above all else, be clear and consistent with your citation style. Take some time to create a style guide and a source citation template to help you stay clear and consistent. Craft consistent source citations by paying attention to the following:
List:
• Order of each element
• Format of each element, such as the subject’s name, dates, item titles, etc.
• Format for all citations from each record type
• Capitalization of elements
• Punctuation of each element
• Use of the same citation for each unique source each time it appears in the project
Now that you understand why citations are crucial for all genealogists follow my blog or join my course Genealogy Source Citations Simplified to overcome your citation dread and learn to love writing citations. My goal is to teach basic principles and give tips and strategies to help you become capable and confident in writing source citations as a genealogist at any level. I will teach you all the basics that I wish I had known in the beginning. Understanding the what, the why, and the how of crafting excellent genealogical reference note citation will put you leaps and bounds beyond the one-hour struggle to write a proper source citation.
I look forward to helping you learn to craft clear and consistent source citations through “Genealogy Source Citations Simplified!”
Lisa Stokes, Accredited Genealogist®
Resource List:
1. Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017.
2. Graham, Paul K. “Cite Anything: A Unified Approach to Crafting Citations.” APGQ 35:3 (September 2020), 10-17.
3. Jones, Thomas W. Mastering Genealogical Documentation. Arlington, Virginia: National Genealogical Society, 2017.
4. Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2015.
5. Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Historical Analysis, Citation & Source Usage. Website. https://www.evidenceexplained.com/index.php/.
6. St. Louis Genealogical Society. “Citations: A Guide to Creating Proper Source Citations.” Website article. StLGS. https://stlgs.org/resources/on-this-site/citations-a-guide-to-creating-proper-source-citations.
7. University of Strathclyde. “Referencing Guide 2021-22.” PDF manual. University of Strathclyde Glasgow. https://www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/centreforlifelonglearning/genealogy/genealogyresources/. Referencing Guide 2021-22.
About Lisa
Lisa Stokes AGⓇ is a professional genealogist accredited in the Mid-South region of the United States. She serves as a commissioner for the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGenSM) and leads the Education Committee. She runs the ICAPGen Study Groups in this capacity, mentoring aspiring genealogists as they learn about accreditation. Additionally, she serves on the ICAPGen Presentation Committee, producing videos about the accreditation process. Lisa has a Bachelor of Science in Education from Brigham Young University (BYU) and loves to teach, lecture, and coach others in overcoming research challenges.
She recently developed a citation course to help genealogists with this vital skill. Lisa has presented at RootsTech and the BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy. She was a course co-coordinator with Diana Elder AG at SLIG 2022 for “Becoming an Accredited Genealogist Professional: The Why, the What, and the How… (Diana and Lisa will also co-coordinate the course again in 2023 for SLIG Academy.) Currently, Lisa uses her DNA skills as an independent contractor solving criminal cases for law enforcement using investigative genetic genealogy.
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