Genealogy: Citing Sources

In begining your genealogy search, one of the most important basics for a beginner to learn, is to keep a record of your information sources!

I've mentioned this in previous posts (and you will no doubt see it again, since I Can NOT stress this enough) - it is VERY important to record the source of the information you find while researching your genealogy!

What are Sources?
Every piece of information comes from somewhere. Where the information came from, or where you learned it is its source. If you know the information personally, from experiencing it, you are the source. If your mother told you the information - your mother is the source. If you read the information in a document (book, letter, article, etc.) the document is your source. You get the idea.

The record of your information's source is called a citation, and recording it is called "citing a source." There have been multitudes of books and articles written on the proper form to use in citing a source. You can find them on the internet or in your library - and you probably should at some point. For know though - just write down where and when you got the information. Be specific. Be complete. "Joe told me last month," as a note in a notebook just doesn't cut it.

Why Do I Need to Cite my Sources?
First: If you don't record where you found a piece of information, you may not be able to find it again.

I can hear you thinking, "My memory is better than that. I don't need to write it down. I'm not going to forget where I got that from." Wrong!

If you don't record the source of your information, you WILL at some point look at it and say, "Where did I get that?" Usually when you discover a contradictory fact and are trying to decide which is the right one.

Every genealogist, myself included, has made this mistake when beginning their genealogy research. Save yourself the time and frustration! Write it down!

There are more good reasons which I'll get into in future posts.