A comprehensive guide for documentation and citing sources for historians and genealogists.
As a historian and genealogist, your documentation will have the most important and immediate benefit to you. It will
- Remind you where you last left off
- Remind you where you acquired the information
- Retrace your clues as needed or point you to additional information
- Answer the question, “Where did this information come from?”
- Provide important notes to research
- Satisfy you and your future reader that you have factual information
When you have time to document your work correctly, you find that your research will speed up. Since I started documenting my work, I have noticed a 35% increase in speed and marked improvement in accuracy in solving research issues.
Respondents to the survey told experiences where they tried to pick up the research trail from undocumented records and spent weeks, months, or even years searching for the next clue only to find out that the data entered was incorrect.
Documentation and Citing Sources
Table of Contents
- Important Lessons for Every Beginner
- Defining Definitions
- Primary vs. Secondary Sources
- Five Types of Evidence
- Document and Citing Your Sources
- History and Genealogy Forms
- Research Log is an Important Tool
- Word About Family Group Sheets
- Checking Sources Allows for Verification
- Verify Data
- Documented Resources You Can Rely On
- Don’t Forget the Help Knowledge of Others
- How Much Documentation Is Enough?
- Citing Internet Resources
- Tips for Searching Online
- Online Citation Tools
- How to Cite and Verify Online Sources
- How to Cite and Verify Published Resources
- How to Cite and Verify Unpublished Sources
- Additional Google Articles on BeginMyStory.com
Important Lessons for Every Beginner
I was given copies of some family history information for Christmas one year by my parents that they had received from someone else. When I started writing about specific individuals and families in the research, I pulled out the information.
As I reviewed the materials, I found out that the family I was most interested in had ended in the late 1700s in North Carolina. I began becoming familiar with the line and finally decided that I would like to see if I could extend it. Within a few weeks of research, I cracked the puzzle and started expanding on the research and building a writing and history profile. Over two years, I extended the research several generations. I had carefully documented my research and was quite proud of what I had done.
On one of my writing and history field trips, I made arrangements to visit a distant cousin and collaborate my findings of this line with hers. Within two minutes of looking at my research, she told me that the person from whom I began my research was not the right person. With further discussion, she explained that the person I had listed was, in fact, in England at the time I had her marrying her husband in North Carolina. She didn’t arrive in America for another 10 years.
Where had I gone wrong with my history research?
I should have taken the time to confirm the information that I had been given. I just assumed it was correct. There was no documentation. That assumption was a costly but valuable error on my part. I learned the value of analysis and hoped I would not make that mistake again.
What exactly is analysis with regards to individual and family research?
It divides information into its six parts: who, what, when, where, why and how. Each of the six parts can be applied to every document or source that you acquire.
To quote Sir Conan Doyle, writing as Sherlock Holmes, from the book, The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet, “When you eliminate the impossible, whatever you have left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” Let’s look at what each of the six parts means for you as a researcher.
- Who. You can define the who before you start your search by asking, “Who created the source?”
- What. What do you want to know? What information does the source provide?
- Where. “Where” is probably the most critical fact after “who.” Are the records in national, state, county, parish, town or precinct records? Where did you find the records?
- When. Determine a time frame or period so you know where to search for records.
- Why. Why was the source created? Why did your individual emigrate from Germany to the United States? Why did they move from Illinois to Wyoming? Why are there so many German (or Irish or Italian) people in the area?
- How. How does the information agree or conflict with information from other sources? How do I answer all these questions? How do I find the records I need?
As you analyze your data, you will make good decisions about their value and accuracy. It’s not necessary to write the answers to the above questions but writing your conclusions will help to clarify your thinking and reveal any inconsistencies.
Take time to review your individual and family history research carefully
Look at the sources. What is the artifact? What documents did you use? What books did you use? To whom did you speak?
Look at information gathered from oral or recorded histories. Review previous research. Correlate unrelated information by categorizing it. Is it primary information (participant, eyewitness), or is it secondary (non-participant)?
Look closely at the evidence
What does the evidence say to you? How relevant is the information to your research? Does it provide direct answers to the questions you are researching? Does it provide indirect answers that help answer the question but do not stand alone? Does it provide negative answers or no answers at all? Is there information missing? What do you see that you didn’t see before? New insights? Different conclusion? Same answer? Different clues?
Ask for documentation
Never be shy about asking for documentation from another researcher when they have shared information with you. Again, without the paper records in hand, nothing is proven.
Always verify your individual and family research
There is never a time when you should not verify the information you have received. You can go to almost any Internet search engine today and within a few minutes find hundreds of questionable “facts.” I’ve seen the exact birth recorded in Florida in the 1700s and Kansas in the 1800s. I’ve seen records of mothers who supposedly gave birth to children at the age of 5, as well as 22-year-old grandfathers. It’s frustrating.
Through the years, I have found critical errors in the information I downloaded. It often appears that researchers wanted so desperately to extend the line or make a connection that they jumped to conclusions in their research, which caused other researchers to research the wrong individual or family lines. Often the answers they were looking for were right before their eyes.
The following are a few examples of experiences other researchers have shared with me about the value of verifying information:
- Using another person’s research with verifying. “I verify everything for myself. I once used someone else’s info, and there was a huge mistake that cost me about a year of work.”
- Wrong certificate information. “Great-granddad’s marriage certificate had wrong occupation details on it, which caused me no end of problems with my searching.”
- Family myths. “Family myths are just that, myths, unless you check and double-check. I was led to believe that my father’s family was from Suffolk County in England. Everyone swore that this was right. It took me five years and a trip to Utah to find out that they were not right. The family was from the county of Essex.”
- Be accurate. “I do not automatically accept a version of research from another person — I check everything out because people sometimes will create their individual and family to fit their own conceptions. When creating a Family story, make it a masterpiece of accuracy. Inaccurate information will lead you away from where you want to go.”
- Make no assumptions. “The Family has always stated that my mother’s family was from Germany because of the heavy accent. However, in North Carolina, an Irish or Scottish accent could also have been considered ‘heavy,’ as could Welsh. Don’t discount anything until you’ve proved it can’t be.”
- Do not assume something is correct. This is a real-time waster. I spent a lot of time seeking my great-grandfather, who supposedly died in South Africa when in reality, he died at his home in Scotland. I have many examples of wasting time — now I’m almost too skeptical. Nothing should be taken at face value. Humans make errors.”
- Don’t believe everything you read; adopt a ‘show-me attitude. I’d heard for years that there was a fire in Martin County (N.C.) courthouse, and all records were destroyed. I visited the courthouse and was informed that wasn’t the case. Yes, there had been a small fire that damaged a few land records, but that was it.”
Defining Definitions
When discussing documentation, we use the citation, documentation, and source somewhat interchangeably. There is a difference in the meaning of each word as it will be used to discuss “Genealogical Documentation.” The meanings are as follows:
- Documentation:
- Documents provided or collected together as evidence or as reference material.
- The process of providing written details or information about something.
- Source: A person, organization, book, or other text that supplies information or evidence.
- Citation: A quoting of an authoritative source (Example: reference from a census index.)
Primary vs. Secondary Sources
One of the most important skills you can acquire will be to evaluate the accuracy of primary records and the relative reliability of secondary sources.
A primary source is created by someone who was there
Its a record made at or near the time of the actual event described and, preferably, recorded by someone with first-hand knowledge of the event and without a vested interest in what the record says (for Example, A doctor provides information for a birth certificate) Length of time between the event and the record varies. But in all cases, the person behind the pen was there. Primary records include
- Birth Certificates
- Marriage Records
- Death Certificates
- Church Records
- Diaries
- Letters
- Business Records
- Census Records (Can also be a secondary record)
- Wills and Probate Records
- Deeds and Land Records
- Guardianship and Administrator’s Bonds
- Other Court Records
Secondary Sources are considered everything else
Usually, the person behind the pen wasn’t there. Instead, the individual has compiled information from various sources to complete the information. Secondary sources include almost all published works (e.g., county histories, genealogies or indexes and abstracts of original records. Secondary sources can be valuable for evaluating primary sources by providing historical context and alternative views of events. In some cases, the “Secondary sources” are the only available sources and are used in place of the primary source. Secondary records include
- Published works
- US county histories
- Family bible
- Census records
- Tombstone inscriptions
- Most information found on the Internet, such as
- Internet Genealogies
- International Genealogical Index (IGI)
- Census Indexes
- Transcriptions of local records
Great care should be taken to understand their source and accuracy when working with secondary sources. As a researcher, if you find a publication that does not include the data source, write the publisher to request data. Also, seek to understand the background of the author. The source information and background of the researcher help readers evaluate the usefulness of the work. For example, when dealing with more critical topics, professional historians will have a much deeper understanding of the historical context and essential issues that may be involved. A good family historian will have much better information on a particular family and the events that shaped their lives when working with family histories.
Can primary sources ever be secondary sources? In short, the answer is yes. For example:
Newspapers
- Primary resource: If the reporter attended the event and reported on what he saw or what others said, you have a primary source
- Secondary resource: If the reporter writes a story such as a historical piece for which there are now eyewitnesses living, you have a secondary resource.
Census
- Primary resource: A Federal Census record is considered a primary source.
- Secondary resource: A census transcription is considered a secondary source because there are opportunities for errors or the ability to add additional information.
Five Types of Evidence
There are five types of evidence (sources).
Primary Evidence
Any evidence or event recorded at (or near) the time of the event, such as a birth certificate or a will.
Secondary Evidence
Any statement made by persons (or facts) from personal memory or any evidence recorded at any other time other than when the event occurred, such as a death certificate.
Collateral Evidence
Evidence that gives cause or clues to other records. The purpose of this type of evidence is an essential part of the record without actually proving anything. For example, if a father speaks of his daughter in a will, land record, or deed by another surname, you would look for a marriage for the daughter.
Circumstantial Evidence
Two or more facts might be so related that one may prove a different type of evidence than the other. For example, a record mentions a daughter, and later, he marries again and refers to the daughter as the ?daughter of a previous wife.” This implies that he had at least one daughter from a previous marriage.
Reported Evidence
Rumor, hearsay, family tradition…: this type of evidence can be found in family interviews, family histories, county histories, biographies, etc. This should be considered suspect until proven with primary or original evidence. For example, family tradition says grandma was widowed young and raised her family alone. Records do not indicate a death (no probate, no change of land ownership, guardianship, etc.) When no proof appears that grandpa died, you might suspect that he ran away from home for some reason.
Document and Citing Your Sources
Whether using primary or secondary materials, citing sources is fundamental to genealogical research and writing. Your citations provide readers and future researchers with a guide to the materials you have used as evidence and a source for others to trace your footnotes for their research.
Do it right the first time!
Whether the source is a newspaper, journal, court record, personal interview, letter, or church record, write everything down while still having the source in your hands.
Sources you can rely on
No one has a perfect memory, and some sources will have worse memories than others. The only source you can rely on is an “official” one; birth, marriage, death documents, and other confirmable databases and indices. Even if the information came from a relative, list their name. You want to stay as accurate as possible and leave a clear trail for others to follow. Not only will you know you have proof of your information, but others you share the information with will know it is factual, not just speculation.
Sources establish credibility
Unless we can tell others where we obtain the information, all we are sharing is our opinion. Citing sources is essential to establishing credibility. If we have done an excellent job with our research, we can give others the ability to broaden and build upon the research already done and not have the same work rechecked repeatedly.
Write legibly
If you write any information, write legibly. It doesn’t pay to hurry and then not be able to read your handwriting later. When possible, try to get a photocopy or a photo of the vital information you are capturing and then enter it into your genealogical program or record database.
Checking sources allow for verification
Checking sources allows verification of spelling, dating, and reporting variations and leads to more information. Relying on the expertise of others helps save time and energy. Create and maintain a record of what resource was checked so that you don’t waste time later. Likewise, some sources (books, newspapers, etc.) might be found at only a few locations. Include where these were in case you need to clean them again.
How valuable is your time?
Have you ever tried to pick up the research trail from undocumented records and spent weeks, months, or even years searching for the next clue only to find out the incorrect data has been entered?
Six elements of a sound source citation
Fundamental elements of a good source citation include:
- Author
- Title
- Publisher’s name and location
- Publication date
- Location of the source and identifying information (library or archive where you found the information and its call number)
- Specific information for the piece of data you found (page number, line number)
History and Genealogy Forms
You might think you’ll remember everything you find out about your relatives at this early stage. But it’s not a good idea to rely on your memory. You’ll be surprised at how quickly the facts fade and blur together. Was Great-Grandpa Charlie born in New York or Philadelphia? Did Grandma Rose have one sister or two? It is best to write down the facts as soon as you learn them. Each memory, each event, and even family stories need to be written down so you can decipher them and retrieve the pertinent details.
There is no “right” way to record your information; it is simply crucial that you do. You might want to use the free genealogy charts provided at the end of this article. Or, you may decide to use loose-leaf notebook paper and a three-ring binder. The following is one approach you might take: Divide your notebook into two sections. In the first, record names, dates, and places of events for particular people. In the second, record stories or answers to interview questions.
Section 1: Write the person’s name at the top of the page; indicate their relationship to you as best you can in parentheses. For instance, if you know John Smith as your cousin, don’t worry about what kind of cousin he is. Having the relationship prominently displayed will prove helpful later, so you won’t have to flip through your research trying to recall who the person is. It’s best to organize these pages alphabetically by the last name.
Section 2: Record the name of the person or resource from whom you got the information. Be sure to include the date you got the information and how you came by it. Was it a letter? Did you chat with that person? Next, put the address of the individual. It is good to include as much information as you have: e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, and phone numbers. This provides many avenues for contacting that individual later if necessary. On the rest of the page, record the information itself.
You are beginning to build your case. You are getting details about your family that will lead to the next step: getting records and verifying your learned information.
Research Log is an Important Tool
The research log is one of the genealogist’s most essential tools. A research log:
- Lists the sources you have already searched and the results of the source.
- Reminds you of what you searched, when you searched, and who you were looking for in that source.
- It can be easily copied and shared with others.
You can create a research log based on a particular topic or ancestor you are researching.
For instance, if you found the person’s birth certificate show the date you found it, birth certificate, the source (quoting file#, etc.), source name & address. Wherever you obtain information, be particular with the information quoting authors, titles, pages, publishers, and so forth.
Word About Family Group Sheets
As you obtain information about your siblings or your parents’ siblings, you’ll find that there is no place on the pedigree chart to record this information. The family group sheet goes hand-in-hand with the pedigree chart; it is where you’ll record information you learn about siblings.
Don’t be worried if you don’t have exact dates of birth or marriage as you write information on the family group sheet. The family group sheet helps you think about family groups: the father, mother, and children. Each couple on your pedigree chart is a family group. You’ll likely need to research your direct ancestors’ siblings to go back to another generation.
Checking Sources Allows for Verification
Checking sources allows verification of spelling, dating, and reporting variations and leads to more information. Relying on the expertise of others helps save time and energy. Create and maintain a record of what resource was checked so that you don’t waste time later. Likewise, some sources (books, newspapers, etc.) might be found at only a few locations and include where these were in case you need to clean them again.
Verify Data
We like to think that everything found on the web is accurate and true. However, you should always verify any genealogy information found on the web, no matter where you find the information. The best way to verify the information is to locate and research the source. Many databases include a list of sources, but sometimes you’ll encounter one that doesn’t. In this case, look at dates and the type of information and ask yourself what type of source would provide that information.
Documented Resources You Can Rely On
No one has a perfect memory, and some sources will have worse memories than others. The only source you can rely on is an “official” one; birth, marriage, death documents, and other confirmable databases and indices. Even if the information came from a relative, list their name. You want to stay as accurate as possible and leave a clear trail for others to follow. Not only will you know you have proof of your information, but others you share the information with will know it is factual, not just speculation.
Don’t Forget the Help Knowledge of Others
More resources than the usual immigration, census, and church records. Communication with real people is the key. My research would have been impossible without the help of an interested person in the ancestral country who contacted officials, who in turn located much information from the early 19th century outside of the usual sources (school records, county and court records).
How Much Documentation Is Enough?
Most individuals who will read your work simply want the facts and are not interested in all the details of where your citations. So how much documentation should you include? Remember you have documentation, and then you have notes. Often you clarify your information one time in notes and note have to repeat the detail repeatedly.
As you receive family trees that extend for hundreds of names, you can seek to document every name, or you can take 1 to 5 percent of the database and very the information and document that you have checked the dates and with accompanying sources and are satisfied with the correctness and soundness of the database. Personally, if I spent all my time verifying every name I have received, I would never do any new research. You will have to decide what is appropriate for you, but the key is to provide yourself and those that will follow a reasonable comfort that what you are providing in your research is of good quality and can be trusted.
I am not interested in gathering thousands of names; I am interested in the pure research associated with Genealogy, locating where James Schreiber or Johnathon Lee came from, and extending my line based on documented evidence.
You have enough documentation when you have achieved what is known as BARD (Beyond a reasonable doubt). The information must be credible, trustworthy, and satisfying or put another way; the evidence should be clear, precise and definite. Ask yourself questions such as:
- How “credible” is, for example, a county history?
- Are Aunt Elaine’s notes “reliable”?
- Is the information in someone else’s compilation “satisfying” in terms of being free of ambiguity and doubt?
- Most individuals who will read your work simply want the facts and are not interested in all the details of where your citations. So how much documentation should you include? Remember you have documentation, and then you have notes. Often, you clarify your information 1 time in notes, and the note has to repeat the detail repeatedly.
Citing Internet Resources
As a historian and genealogist, establish a working hypothesis and then gather as much evidence as possible to test this hypothesis. As you collect the “facts,” you will be “clearly convinced” that they support or contradict your assumption. Your hypothesis cannot be considered sustainable if there is unresolved or unexplained contradictory evidence (Example: Your hypothesis states that your great grandfather is the son of Arthur, yet you have found one document that the son of Arthur is the son of John, and there is no explainable reason for the conflict.)
As you venture onto the Internet, look for source citations. Look for superscripted numbers after dates, places, or sentences in a compiled family history. Check that the Web page compiler has supplied the identifying information about a source. For instance, if the site is devoted to the records of a specific cemetery, did they:
- Include the name of the cemetery?
- Identify where the cemetery is located (address or town)?
- Include the date they walked the cemetery abstracting the tombstone data?
- Tell you who abstracted the data?
These facts help you to know how complete the information is. If the cemetery was initially walked in 1967, it’s possible that some tombstones included on the Web site’s pages no longer exist. It’s possible that the information was not taken from the cemetery itself but papers created in 1967. If this is the case, you have to consider the possibility that errors were introduced when it was uploaded to the computer.
Remember that the Internet is an excellent resource because it offers an inexpensive way to publish your family history. Before the Internet, many researchers put off publishing their family histories to ensure they had everything about the family identified before committing it to paper and paying to have it printed. Today, you will find many “works in progress” online. Because they are not etched in stone, it is not unusual to discover upon revisiting a site that the researcher has changed the pages dramatically or removed them entirely.
You should ask questions about every Web site you visit. The Internet makes it extremely easy to share information, but nothing should be accepted at face value. Verify the facts before downloading and adding the information to your genealogy program.
While the Internet is an excellent tool for genealogists, it doesn’t house all the information you’ll need to complete your family history. You’ll have to visit libraries for some types of records. We’ll discuss library research next.
Tips for Searching Online
Searching online presents many of the most challenging issues when it comes to verifying sources. The following are a few of the lessons I have learned from searching online:
- Search for the source. It would be nice if all Web resources included a source. Whenever you find a record on the Web that relates you to your research of an individual or family, look for a source of the data. This can be in the form of source citations and references (often denoted as footnotes at the bottom of the page or the end of the publication), notes or comments, or an “about this database” section for websites like Ancestry.com. You could also send an email to the author or contributor and politely ask for source citations.
- Seek to find the referenced source. If the website or database you are using does not have digital images of the actual source, you can search to find the source references. For example, if the source of information is a genealogy or history book, look for a library in the area you are searching with a copy that is willing to provide photocopies. Expect a small fee. If the source is a microfilm record, you will most likely be able to secure the original from your local family history center, where the film can be borrowed and viewed.
- View the original material online. There is a growing trend of many online databases to access scanned images of original documents. Many Internet resources have been copied, abstracted, transcribed or summarized from previously existing sources. Understanding the difference between these different sources will help you best assess how to verify the information you find.
- Use primary sources when possible. Primary sources were created at or close to the time of the event by someone with personal knowledge of the event (for example, a birth date provided by the family doctor for the birth certificate). Primary evidence usually carries more weight than secondary evidence.
- Know the power of originals. If the record you are seeing is a photocopy, digital copy, or microfilm copy of the original source, it is likely to be a valid representation.
- Know the limitations of compiled records. Compiled records, including abstracts, transcriptions, indexes and published family histories, are more likely to have missing information or transcription errors. If you find these records, it’s in your best interest to track down the original sources.
- Think about the possible source. When you find information that doesn’t provide you a source for the database or website, ask yourself what kind of record could have supplied the information. For example, if it’s exact date of birth, then the source is most likely a birth certificate or tombstone inscription. It may have come from a census or marriage record if it is an approximate year of birth.
- Use software to aid your individual and family research. To help me keep track of my research. I use software like RootsMagic, Family Tree Maker, Legacy or an online database like FamilySearch to keep me organized. Use the “sanity checks” built into these programs. These programs are designed for genealogists to help them research and accurately record what they find. The software has what I refer to as “sanity checks” to help guide you and stay focused on your research. The exact name of this feature may vary from one program to another, but all the better programs can find suspicious data within a database. These built-in quality checks or sanity checks help you quickly identify questionable data, such as very young girls or older women giving birth. When your software identifies such data, examine the evidence closely. As a writer, I appreciate these features in my individual and family narrative research.
Whether the source provides good, limited, or no information— write it down. Citing sources gives credibility to your research, helps others understand where you have been, and aids during your analysis.
Online Citation Tools
There are several online tools you can also use to assist in generating citations. Do a Google search on the name to find the tools, which are as follows:
- Noodletools. Using their template, you can create a citation for different types of content.
- Open Attribute. This tool allows you to cite images you find on the Web.
- Son of Citation Machine. You can paste the ISBN or name of the book in the space provided and will receive a citation, and you can also create a citation.
- WorldCat. When you find an item that you can use, you can look up the citation by clicking on the artifacts detail page’s top-right that says “Cite/Export” and will receive a citation. If you handwrite any information, write legibly. It doesn’t pay to hurry and then not be able to read your handwriting later. I try to always get a photocopy or a photo of the key information I am capturing and then enter it into my genealogical program or record database.
Checking sources allows for verification
Checking sources allows you to verify spelling and dating and to report variations. It also leads to more information. Relying on the expertise of others helps save time and energy. Create and maintain a record of what resource was checked so that you don’t waste time later. Likewise, some sources (books, newspapers and so on) might be found at only a few locations. Include where these were found in case you need to clean them again.
How valuable is your time?
Genealogists have told experiences where they tried to pick up the trail of research from undocumented records and spent weeks, months or even years searching for the next clue, only to find out that the data they had was incorrect.
Six elements of a sound source citation
The six elements of a good source citation include author, title, publisher’s name and location, publication date, location of the source and identifying information (library or archive where you found the info and its call number) and specific information for the piece of data you found (page number, line number, and so on).
Return to Documentation and Citing Sources Table of Contents
How to Cite and Verify Online Sources
The following are examples of how to cite online resources. When possible, I include a URL address plus a physical address because email addresses tend to change. URLs also change over time, yet I do have the original source.
Scanned Image File
- Description: Birth Certificate
- Individual: Mary Schreiber
- Details: Certificate # 352-993
- Date: 20 Oct 1938
- Location: Littleton Colorado
- Scan Date: 24 Nov 2005
- Image File Name: SCHREIBER-Mary Schreiber Birth Certificate.tif
- Scanned by: Author Schreiber, Schreiber.Author@msn.com, Littleton, Colorado
- Image Editing: Digitally retouched by Author Schreiber, Littleton Colorado, January 2006 to provide color correction to faded document. Data was not changed.
- Formatted: Birth certificate of Mary Schreiber, Littleton, Arapahoe County, Colorado, Certificate # 352-993, 30 Oct 1938, Image File: SCHREIBER-Mary Schreiber Birth Certificate.tif, scanned by Author Schreiber, [Schreiber.Author@msn.com, Littleton, Colorado], 20 November 2005. [Image has been digitally retouched by Author Schreiber, Littleton, Colorado, January 2006 to provide color correction to faded document. Data was not changed.]
Email Message
- Author: Igor Pleve
- Email Address: igor@mt.ru
- Message Title: 1857 Schondorf Census-Wagner Surname
- Description of Email: Message to Author Schreiber
- Date: 6 April 2004
- Specific Location: Electronic file in possession of Author Schreiber
- Detail: Description of 1857 Census, Schondorf, Russia with Wagner Surname
- Form Used and Repository: Located in Wagner Surname Folder, Igor Pleve Correspondence, File Name Igor Pleve-1857 Shondorf Census-Wagner Surname
- Formatted: Igor Pleve [igor@mt.ru], “1857 Shondorf Census-Wagner Surname,” Message to Author Schreiber, 6 April 2004, Electronic file in possession of Author Schreiber. [Description of 1857 Census, Schondorf, Russia with Wagner Surname, Located in Wagner Surname Folder>Igor Pleve Correspondence>File Name Igor Pleve-1857 Shondorf Census-Wagner Surname.]
Message Board
- Author: George Schreiber
- Email Address: gwsabc1023@hello.net
- Message Title: Robert Schreiber 1789 White Hall, Virginia
- Date: 23 March 2006
- Message URL: http://www.Genealogy.com/Genealogy/14_after.html?priority=0001000
- Description: Schreiber Family in Whitehall, Albemarle County, Virginia. Lineage of Family and children from 1750 to 1804
- Form Used and Repository: Copy downloaded and in possession of Author Schreiber, Located in Schreiber surname Folder>Message Board-Schreiber>George Schreiber 1750-1804
- Formatted: George Schreiber [gwsabc1023@hello.net], Robert Schreiber 1789 White Hall, Virginia, 23 March 2006 [http://www.Genealogy.com/Genealogy/17_after.html?priority=000100], Robert Schreiber Family in Whitehall, Albemarle County, Virginia, Lineage of Family and children from 1750 to 1804], Copy downloaded and in possession of Author Schreiber, Located in Schreiber Surname Folder>Message Board-Schreiber>Robert Schreiber 1750-1804.
Website file
- Description: Schreiber Family Organization
- Individual: Family line of Robert Schreiber
- Website Address: http://www.SchreiberFamily.org/
- Date: 29 June 2006
- E. Detail: Downloaded Robert Schreiber genealogy files. Reviewed data and includes detail and sources. Compiled by Marilyn Schreiber
- Form Used and Repository: Copy in possession of Author Schreiber, Located in Schreiber Surname Folder>Genealogy>Robert Schreiber
- Formatted: Schreiber line of Robert Schreiber, Schreiber Family Organization, June 29, 2006 [Downloaded Robert Schreiber genealogy, Reviewed data and includes detail and sources, Compiled by Marilyn Schreiber], Copy in possession of Author Schreiber, Located in Schreiber Surname Folder>Genealogy>Robert Schreiber.
How to Cite and Verify Published Resources
The following are examples of how to cite published resources.
Book
- Author: Robert Anderson
- Title: Bonds of Henrico County, Virginia, 1782-1853
- Publication Facts (place of publication, name of publisher, year): Baltimore Maryland, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1984
- Page Number: 133
- Formatted: Robert Anderson, Marriage Bonds of Henrico County, Virginia, 1782-1853, (Baltimore Maryland, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1984) p. 133.
Article
- Author: A. Marten
- Title of the Article: The Influence of the Huguenots
- Name of Periodical: The Huguenot
- Publication Facts (place of publication, name of publisher): Vallejo, California, The Huguenot Society
- Volume: 10
- Month/Season and Year: 1939-41
- Page Numbers: 39-45
- Formatted: A. Marten, “The Influence of the Huguenots.” The Huguenot (Vallejo, California, The Huguenot Society), Vol. 10 (1939-41), pp. 39-45.
Newspaper
- Title of Article: George Schreiber Wins Prize
- Place of Publication: Provo, Utah
- Name of Newspaper: Provo Daily Herald
- Date of Publication: 15 December 1929
- Page Number: 1
- Column Number: 2
- Formatted: George Schreiber, Provo, Utah, Provo Daily Herald, 15 December 1929, p. 1, column 2.
How to Cite and Verify Unpublished Sources
The following are examples of how to cite unpublished resources.
Personal Letter
- Author: Mary Schreiber
- Description of the Letter: Letter to Author Schreiber
- Date: 12 July 1979
- Detail: Letter from Mary Schreiber to Author Schreiber. Topic of the letter was a trip to Florida.
- Specific Location: Original handwritten letter in possession of Author Schreiber
- Form Used and Repository: Handwritten
- Formatted: Mary Schreiber, Letter to Author Schreiber, 12 July 1979. [Original handwritten letter in possession of Author Schreiber. Topic of the letter was a trip to Florida.]
Oral Interview
- Title of Notes or Tape: An oral interview with Nathaniel Schreiber
- Date of Interview: 14 May 2009
- Interviewer: Author Schreiber
- Present Owner’s Name and Address: Recording owned by Author Schreiber, New York, New York
- Form Used and Location: Nathaniel Schreiber was living in Provo, Utah
- Place of Interview: Provo, Utah
- Evaluation Information: Interview focused on experiences as Construction Worker, Provo, Utah, from 1945-1976
- Formatted: “Oral interview with Nathaniel Schreiber,” 14 May 2009, by Author Schreiber, recording owned by Author Schreiber, New York, New York, Nathaniel was living in Provo, Utah, Interview took place in Provo, Utah, the interview focused on experiences as a construction worker in Provo, Utah from 1945to 1976.
Photograph
- Description: Photograph of John Schreiber
- Date of Picture: Circa 1900
- Location: Provo, Utah
- Taken by: George Edward Anderson
- Specific Location: Glass plates in possession of Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
- Formatted: Photograph of John Schreiber, circa 1900, Provo, Utah, taken by George Edward Anderson, glass plates in possession of Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
Unpublished Document
- Descriptive Title of Document: Personal History of John Schreiber
- Significant Dates or Numbers: Written Circa 1935
- Page Numbers or Other Specific Designation: Original owned by Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Provo, Utah
- Other Detail: 4-page history written by daughter Mary Schreiber Smith
- Location and Form of Record: Copy received and in possession of Author Schreiber, Littleton, Colorado, 7 July 1997
- Formatted: “Personal History of John Schreiber,” circa 1935, 4 pages, written by daughter Mary Schreiber Smith, Copy received from Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Provo, Utah, 7 July 1997, in possession of Author Schreiber, Littleton, Colorado.
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