Can someone give me a little help? I'm taking the time to redo all the citations and source information I have linked in FTM - I don't think I have it right yet! I know a poorly done citation is better than none but I'd like to make things a little easier for everyone that comes after me. I appear to have switched styles a half dozen different times!
Specifically I am struggling with documents - BMD - picked up off Scotland's People and Ancestry.com.
I've listed GRO as the respository - but I think this is where I am making my mistake - this should be SP (or Ancestry.com) right?
What exactly goes in the box for Source - Register of Deaths (or M or B) for (specific location - say Dennistoun) and the Year?
And the Citation is the actual specfic certificate - say - Death Certificate for John Brown 1904 and the certificate number - say 644/3 - XXXX?
I'm in desperate need of help here - I just keep changing this everytime I enter a source and want to get it right once and for all!
THANKS!
Julie
Proper Source & Citation Format
Moderator: Global Moderators
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LesleyB
- Posts: 8184
- Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:18 am
- Location: Scotland
Hi Julie
..and a warm welcome to Talking Scot.
I don't know my way around FTM, but some of our members do, so I may not be the best person to answer your query.
(I use Legacy)
First thoughts: does FTM have a help facility within the program? If so, that should give some guidance as to how to tackle the format of the sources.
There is also a forum: http://genforum.genealogy.com/using/ which appears to deal with FTM queries and there seem to be quite a few queries about sources there that might be of some help.
Try these past topics on TS too:
http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... ght=source
http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... hlight=ftm
I'm sure some of our FTM folks will be able to give you some better guidance.
Best wishes
Lesley
..and a warm welcome to Talking Scot.
I don't know my way around FTM, but some of our members do, so I may not be the best person to answer your query.
(I use Legacy)First thoughts: does FTM have a help facility within the program? If so, that should give some guidance as to how to tackle the format of the sources.
There is also a forum: http://genforum.genealogy.com/using/ which appears to deal with FTM queries and there seem to be quite a few queries about sources there that might be of some help.
Try these past topics on TS too:
http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... ght=source
http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... hlight=ftm
I'm sure some of our FTM folks will be able to give you some better guidance.
Best wishes
Lesley
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paddyscar
- Site Admin
- Posts: 2418
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:56 pm
- Location: Ontario, Canada
Hi Julie:
Lesley's given you some great links to review.
I've only just received a FTM software package for Christmas, and as I haven't even opened it, can't really be of any help with the specifics.
You've hit the nail on the head about your records being consistent. There are always changes in what is recommended as a 'style' of citation, and twists in each - like a recipe for good shortbread
Whatever you choose, it must make sense to you, so that you can maintain consistent records. You don't want to be using a date format (or any other part) that is foreign to you. You'll be double-checking yourself at every turn - did I use Sep 16, 1949 or 1949/09/16?
Even if you have a 'style' of your own, once someone (in the future) deciphers your record keeping they will be able to follow consistent citations, unlike those that are all over the map.
A warm welcome to TalkingScot, happy new year and come back often!
Frances
Lesley's given you some great links to review.
I've only just received a FTM software package for Christmas, and as I haven't even opened it, can't really be of any help with the specifics.
You've hit the nail on the head about your records being consistent. There are always changes in what is recommended as a 'style' of citation, and twists in each - like a recipe for good shortbread
Whatever you choose, it must make sense to you, so that you can maintain consistent records. You don't want to be using a date format (or any other part) that is foreign to you. You'll be double-checking yourself at every turn - did I use Sep 16, 1949 or 1949/09/16?
Even if you have a 'style' of your own, once someone (in the future) deciphers your record keeping they will be able to follow consistent citations, unlike those that are all over the map.
A warm welcome to TalkingScot, happy new year and come back often!
Frances
John Kelly (b 22 Sep 1897) eldest child of John Kelly & Christina Lipsett Kelly of Glasgow
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Muriel
- Posts: 381
- Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:13 pm
- Location: Edinburgh
Hi Julie
I use FTM 2005 & I find I don't use the citation area very much. I usually just put in the very basic information, e.g. OPR, LDS submission. I then keep the details in the notes for the person, such as the number & date of the certificate and any extra bits & pieces. This means that when I do a Genealogy report (I gather things are a bit different in the latest release) everything is all together and easy to read instead of in footnotes, which in a long report could be pages away from the person they apply to & very easy to miss.
I'm sure other people using FTM do things differently & in the end you'll just have to choose how you do it & do it, as others have already said, consistently. It's worth knowing that if you amalgamate 2 (or more) trees then the citation area shows that that person was originally in another tree. I've just spent quite a bit of time deleting this information from the citation area on my tree so that it doesn't keep coming up when I print a genealogy report.
Happy New Year
Muriel
I use FTM 2005 & I find I don't use the citation area very much. I usually just put in the very basic information, e.g. OPR, LDS submission. I then keep the details in the notes for the person, such as the number & date of the certificate and any extra bits & pieces. This means that when I do a Genealogy report (I gather things are a bit different in the latest release) everything is all together and easy to read instead of in footnotes, which in a long report could be pages away from the person they apply to & very easy to miss.
I'm sure other people using FTM do things differently & in the end you'll just have to choose how you do it & do it, as others have already said, consistently. It's worth knowing that if you amalgamate 2 (or more) trees then the citation area shows that that person was originally in another tree. I've just spent quite a bit of time deleting this information from the citation area on my tree so that it doesn't keep coming up when I print a genealogy report.
Happy New Year
Muriel
Searching Ross - Lochwinnoch & Eaglesham, Renfrewshire; Glasgow; Glover - Paisley; Macadam - Glasgow.