Astrid's Simple Rules for Citing Sources

ASTRID'S SIMPLE RULES
By Astrid Terras 
2005 May 6
=========================

In Simples Steps to Citing Sources I had 5 Steps:

1. KEEP TRACK
2. RECORD IT
3. IF NOT SURE, RECORD IT ANYWAY
4. ENJOY THE SLOWER PACE
5. ASK QUESTIONS

Here, I add the following rules for 
WHEN YOU WANT TO CITE SOURCES:

1. In a citation try to answer the basic "who, what, where, and when" 
questions. The "why" and "how" questions are usually optional.

2. Learn from others. Libraries usually have copies of genealogical 
journals, magazines, or newsletters. How do the authors of the articles 
cite their sources? 

3. There are also books and articles about citing sources, 
even on the Internet. Sometimes Citation Models help.

4. Practise, Practise, Practise, and Learn from Experience. You do not need 
to start with perfection. Perfect is just being able to start and then to 
try to keep going. 

5. Practise trying to find a source using your own citations later: 
Learn from yourself! (But be kind to yourself while learning too - 
that's the best way to learn.)


Finally... I hope to get back to this page and become more precise 
about what to do, but also about what not to do when citing sources. 
The basic rule is to aim for the simple truth. Cite the source you actually 
used, not the source you think you should have used or wanted to use. 
If your source was a photocopy of a transcribed abstract from the Internet, 
then that's what you write as your source - instead of making it appear you 
had the information from the one, unique, brittle, and fragile hand-written 
one-thousand-year-year-old original document sitting in the vault of the 
Sistine Chapel.

Enjoy your journey! And keep track of where you've been... with the citations.

Affectionately,
Astrid

These rules were based on my own personal research started in 
1999-2000 and my subsequent opinions about how Canadian and English 
genealogical sources might be included in citations, footnotes, and 
bibliographies. This project has turned into an ongoing labour of love, 
and I welcome your comments, opinions, or questions. 
Astrid Terras, E-mail: astrid@vianet.ca.

In addition, I am indebted to the following two authors, in particular:

Lackey, Richard S., F.A.S.G. Cite Your Sources: A Manual 
        for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records. 
        New Orleans: Polyanthos, Inc., 1980.

	Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, Evidence! Citation 
& Analysis for the Family Historian (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical 
Publishing Company, 1997).