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Archiver > APG > 2004-12 > 1102036751


From: "Richard A. Pence" <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Citing Sources - Original, Derived, etc.
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2004 20:19:15 -0500
References: <010101c4d848$95cde480$c800a8c0@domain.local>


Natalie Cottrill <> wrote while discussing
citations:

> To some degree, this probably boils down to each of us considering
> what is practical for our situation, while also striving to be as
> consistent
> as possible.

I have been struggling with this issue and I think Natalie has made an
excellent point.

For many years I have been working on a compilation of the descendants of my
immigrant 5th great grandfather and his four sons who came with him in 1749
from what is now a part of Germany. I am acutely aware that proper
documentation is critical, but that part of the compilation is becoming the
"tale" (sic) that wags the dog. (I have groused about this to whomever will
listen. Once I thought of entered the NGS writing contest with the story of
my 4th great and his children and grandchildren. Then I realized there was
10,000-word limit. At that moment the footnotes alone were *12,000 words* -
and growing!)

One day I tell myself, you have to go back and sharpen up some of those
endnotes. A few days later I find myself thinking that there has to be a way
to keep the seemilngly endless notes from overwhellming the narrative.

In another message today, Kevin Sholder gave us his interpretation of a
"correct" census citation for today's world:

Mortimer Edwards household, 1880 U.S. Federal Census,
Winona County, Minnesota, population schedule, town of
Winona, enumeration district [ED] 289, supervisor's
district [SD] 1, sheet 19, dwelling 172, family 182. Digital
scan of micropublication T9, roll 637 from the U.S. National
Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.]
(Online: Heritage Quest), <http://www.heritagequestonline.com/>;,
subscription database, accessed 2 Dec 2004.

At this stage in my compilation I have pretty solid information on slightly
more than 1,000 individual descendants (generations 1, 2, 3 and 4). There
probably is at least one census citation for each of these and as many as
five or more for some individuals.

Do my many cousins - close and far - really want to know all of what is in
Kevin's note? (And can I afford the printing bill?)

I have collected census (and other) records for over 30 years - first simple
abstracts, then photocopies of the microfilm made at NARA or an FHC and -
now - from on-line access. Admitedly, I neglected proper sourcing at first -
and even later. To use my rationale "back when" (when I was always in a
hurry), "I can always find this again later if I need to. It will only take
a few minutes."

And now I am still wrestling with my problem. Sure, I can go through the
entire compilation and do a "correct" citation, looking them up again if
necessary, for each of two or three thousand census notes. Or I can take
some pity on my readers and let the footnote read:

Morton Edwards household, 1880 U.S. Cen. (Pop. Sched.) of
Winona, Winona Co., Minn., p. 18.

And I would bet you that nearly every one of my cousins is sharp enough to
find that reference if they should care to do so. (It should go without
saying that if there are irregularities or questions about a record, the
issue would be a part of the narrative or the note. I have noticed, though,
that if you don't state the obvious on the Net, some one will state it for
you.< g>)

What would you do?? "Textbook" notes - or "practical" notes?

Richard A. Pence, 3211 Adams Ct, Fairfax, VA 22030
Voice 703-591-4243 Fax 703-352-3560
Pence Family History <http://www.pipeline.com/~richardpence/>;

P.S.: I have given up on including *any* URLs in citations. They are seldom
the same from one day to the next. Worse, the URL will be valid but the
information is no longer what it was. And it really doesn't add anything to
say that you looked at it on such-and-such a date, now does it?


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