Source citations

[aquiss]

I am using RootsMagic v4 (UK Version) but this question may apply generally.

For a long time now i have been meaning to ask this question, but never got around to it. I understand the principle of sources, however, how are these recorded correctly?

For the most part we all will have birth, marriage, death and census sources to work, and each source has lots to take down. However, when i go to adding a source cite. there are various things i just don't understand or even know where to get:

For instance, what does this mean from a census source?
Ref: [EE, QC-6, p 254, sec 6.50, p 301]

In other words, I want to make sure I am doing it correctly :/

[Geoffers]

For instance, what does this mean from a census source?
Ref: [EE, QC-6, p 254, sec 6.50, p 301]

No idea.

For a census returns from England/Wales you need to include the reference used by The National Archives

It consists of a class number -
HO107 for 1841 and 1851.
RG9 for 1861
RG10 for 1871
RG11 for 1881
RG12 for 1891
RG13 for 1901
RG14 for 1911

For census returns 1841 - 1901 there is then a piece number. There is usually an oblique stroke after the class number. The piece number is written after that.

For 1841 only there is then a book number.

So, the start of the reference for 1841 might be written, for example HO107/763/12

The start of a census reference for 1851 might be written, for example HO107/1811

After that you write the folio number (appears in the right hand corner of every other page) and the page number.

folio is often abbreviated to 'f'; page is frequently abbreviated to 'p'

Some people then add the schedule number, but this is not essential.

A complete census might be read as HO107/763/12 f12 p20 (for 1841)

For 1851 HO107/1811 f11 p22

For 1881 RG11/2232 f3 p5

For 1911, census returns are arranged differently. Then the essential parts of the rather long reference given are:

RG14 - then the Piece Number (given as PN), then then schedule number (given as SN). You could refer to this as RG14/11154 SN354.

[arthurk]

For instance, what does this mean from a census source?
Ref: [EE, QC-6, p 254, sec 6.50, p 301]

I think the EE probably refers to a book called "Evidence Explained", which sets out one particular author's view on how sources should be quoted; the rest is probably a reference to the pages in that book about how to cite a census extract.

RootsMagic's SourceWizard is able to create citations according to the recommendations of this book (and some others), but if it's like RM3, you don't have to use the wizard and can write them as you think best (free-form). The important thing, to my mind, is that it should be clear enough for anyone else to find the reference/document/book etc; my impression of source wizards (in other programs too) is that they sometimes create citations that are unnecessarily complicated.

You can read more about sourcing in RootsMagic 4 in its blog: put "RootsMagic blog" in a search engine, and when you find it, look for the post about the SourceWizard (no space) on 3 Dec 2008.

Arthur