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Citations

December 2022

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Definition

citation: the statement in which one identifies a source consulted or the source of a specific assertion. Common forms of citations are source list entries (bibliographic entries), reference notes (endnotes or footnotes), and document labels.

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Definition

citation: the statement in which one identifies a source consulted or the source of a specific assertion. Common forms of citations are source list entries (bibliographic entries), reference notes (endnotes or footnotes), and document labels.

citation sentence: the format used for footnotes and endnotes, wherein all details identifying a source are expressed sentence-style, with a period placed only at the end. Compare to source list entry, in which periods are placed between elements of each entry for a source.

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Definition

citation: the statement in which one identifies a source consulted or the source of a specific assertion. Common forms of citations are source list entries (bibliographic entries), reference notes (endnotes or footnotes), and document labels.

citation sentence: the format used for footnotes and endnotes, wherein all details identifying a source are expressed sentence-style, with a period placed only at the end. Compare to source list entry, in which periods are placed between elements of each entry for a source.

assertion: a claim or statement of “fact.”

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Published Book

Mary Ann Sharrer and Annie Barrows, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (New York: Dial Press, 2009), 99.

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Author name is listed in western style order: first name, middle and last name.
Book titles are printed in italics.
Publication information is warped in parenthesis.
Page number listed at the end.

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Published Online E-Delivery of Print-Published Book

“We cannot judge the reliability of any information unless we know exactly where the information came from and the strengths and weaknesses of that source.” ¹

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Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, 3rd edition revised, Kindle Edition, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2017), 8.

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Website

Larry Kestenbaum, The Political Graveyard: A Database of American History (http://www.politicalgraveyard.com : accessed 1 April 2015), “Lucas Lugers.”

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Website creator or author.
Use the name of the website in place of the book title and write it in italics.
In the parentheses instead of publisher details put the web page address and access date.
Instead of page number put the item searched for or item of interest.

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Preservation Film: Family History Library

Lucius Barnes Barbour and Lucius A. Barbour, “Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records prior to 1850,” 50 vols. (bound transcripts, 1874–1934, Connecticut State Library, Hartford), vol. 14, Town of Goshen: Abigail Cook, born 25 January 1761; FHL microfilm 2,970.

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Compilers, Manuscript Series Title, No. Of Volumes, Item Type, Creation Date, Owner Repository, Owner Location, Volume Used, Section, Item of Interest; Film ID

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Private Holdings: Artifact

G. B. Wuster obituary, undated clipping from unidentified newspaper, in Zella (Lovell) Stabler Scrapbook, ca. 1930–80; privately held by Mrs. Stabler, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Williamsport, Pennsylvania, 2015.

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Item ID (generic), Artifact ID, Creation Date; Current or Last Known Owner, Owner's Location, Years Owned, Descriptive Detail

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Private Holdings: Family Bible Record

John Lynde Greene Sr. Family Bible Records, 1807–1944, The Holy Bible (Philadelphia: Matthew Carey, 1811), “Marriages”; privately held by John Lynde Greene IV, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Germantown, Maryland, 2001.

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Bible ID (Original Owner & inclusive Dates, Title of Bible, Publication place, Publisher, Year Published, Page or Section; Current or Last Known Owner, Owners Location, Year Owned, Descriptive detail

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Private Holdings: Family Chart or Group Sheet

Jerg Ollsen, Erik Ollsen–Anna Hansen Family Group Sheet, Ollsen Family Charts and Group Sheets, 1548–1948; supplied by Ollsen, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Vestero, Laeso, Denmark, 1999. This sheet offers only a generic list of materials used, with no specific documentation for any piece of data.

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Compiler, Item (Generic ID), Collection; Supplier, Supplier/Compiler's Location,Year Supplied, Description and Evaluation by Researcher

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Private Holdings: Historic Letter

F. A. Charleville (Fiddletown, California) to “Dear Sister” [Athanaise Charleville Faris], letter, 15 November 1867; privately held by Clayton Mills, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Nashville, Tennessee, 2015. [ADD EXPLANATION OF HOW THE RECIPIENT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.]

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Writer, Writer's Location, Recipient (Identity Added), Item Type, Record Date;

Current or Last Owner, Owner's Location, Years Owned, Description Details or Other Relevant Discussion

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Online Images: Plaques & Stones

Ancestry, Find A Grave, database with images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 1 January 2017), memorial 926656, Dr. Daniel Hull (1714–1744), Old Burying Ground, Cutchogue, Suffolk County, New York; gravestone photograph by GFord.

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Corporate Owner, Website Title, Item Type or Format, URL (Digital Location), Date, Item of Interest; Credit Line

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Digital Images Federal Census (U.S.)

Citation example:

1850 U.S. census, Marion County, Iowa, population schedule, Lake Prairie, p. 290 (stamped), dwelling 151, family 156, Virgil W. and Wyatt B. Earp; image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 April 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 187.

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Template:

Census ID, Jurisdiction, Schedule, Civil Division, Page ID., Household ID, Person(s) of Interest, Item Type or Format, Website Title, URL Digital Location, Date; Credit Line (Source of this Source)

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Church Record Books: Online Image

St. Liborious Church (St. Libory, Illinois), “Liber Baptismalis ab anno 1849 die 30 Murt. usque ad initium anni 1863,” unnumbered pages, unnumbered entries in chronological order, “Elisabetham Aberle” baptism, 12 November 1857; accessed as “Illinois, Diocese of Belleville, Catholic Parish Records, 1729–1956,” browsable images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1388122 : 1 April 2015), path: St. Clair County > St. Libory > St. Liborious > 1849–1862 Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmations > image 33 of 68.

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Blogs

Randy Seaver, “Sample Source Citation”, Genea-Musings, 5 September 2014, (https://www.geneamusings.com/p/sample-source-citations.html : accessed 2 December 2022).

"Citations: A Guide to Creating Proper Source Citations", St Louis Genealogical Society (https://stlgs.org/resources/on-this-site/citations-a-guide-to-creating-proper-source-citations : accessed 11/7/2022)

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Blogs (continued)

Devon Noel Lee, "Genealogy Source Citations for Those You Dislike Source Citations", Family History Fanatics, (https://www.familyhistoryfanatics.com/citing-sources-simplified : accessed 11/7/2022)

The above blog contains a link to Google spreadsheet located here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1A6MJynyhBXSTutKw2tWpf5g8mdbGb9fxOFTTZ8ZfBDw/edit#gid=2147130101

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Downloadable Spreadsheet of Evidence Explained Citation QuickCheck Models

John H. Yates, “Two Computer Ready Parametrizations of ‘Evidence Style” Historical Sources”, jtangledweb, (http://jytangledweb.org/genealogy/evidencestyle/ : accessed 5 December 2012), Table Version: MS Excel version for download.

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Evidence Explained by E. S. Mills

Ebook:

Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, 3rd edition revised, Kindle Edition, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2017).

Website:

Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained: Historical Analysis, Citation & Source Usage, (https://www.evidenceexplained.com : accessed 7 December 2022).