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  1. #1
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    Default Legacy 8 - Source Citations

    Hi Everyone,

    I'm new here and after my first bit of advice

    I'm looking at using Legacy 8 as my Software Program.

    My problem is when it comes to entering Source Citations I don't know how much or how little to put in Legacy has the Source Writer Wizard but I struggle to use the template for English Census Records and other on-line information i.e Free BMD, I could purchase the Deluxe Version and the Training CD's but as they seem to be USA - Australia orientated the shipping costs are nearly as much as the package itself and my not help with my answers.

    Does any one else use Legacy 8 that can advise, or is there a better program for UK users ?

    Thanks in advance for any help / tips

    Bob

  2. #2
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
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    South Australia
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    Hey Bob, from Australia,
    I'm still using Legacy 7 deluxe. although rather tired of the lengthy American orientated where with all.
    For sources I use the least I can, or rename the source to suit the place I found info. ie. UK census collection or London Electoral
    Registers or just plain old Church records, Parish & year, where records located. depending on where I viewed th records. I find the Legacy lot rather wearisome with their how to's & who dunnits. I just record my people as who, when ,where, who to, with who, until when- if known etc. & add any genuine bits which bob up.
    Censuses are easier to record with who, where when, source records ie 1841 HO 107/1064/4...HO piece 107 folio 1064 page 4.
    Happy Families
    Wendy
    Count your Blessings, they'll all add up in the end.

  3. #3
    Very quick off the mark.
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    Nov 2007
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    Family Historian is written with a bias towards UK genealogy. There is an excellent add-on called Ancestral Sources which is very good for entering census and other information.

    https://
    www.family-historian.co.uk

    Maggie

  4. #4
    Famous for offering help & advice
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    I use RootsMagic, which is available in a UK version as well as the original US one. This too has a vast array of source templates which follow the supposedly "right" way to set them out, but there's also a Free-form option where you can write whatever you want. I started using the program before the source templates were fully implemented, so all my sources are free-form anyway, and I don't see any reason to change; not only would it would be a lot of work to convert them, but the whole concept strikes me as over-complicated and obsessive.

    I believe some of the US academic genealogical societies might insist on articles submitted to them for publication following these strict criteria, but for my own use and sharing with like-minded researchers I see no need for them at all. The main thing is that a source should be clear enough to enable someone to idenitfy and locate the document (etc) that you have used.

    When considering sources, most programs will distinguish between master sources and citations (or details): for example, a book might be a source, and the page number the citation/detail. However, choosing where to draw the line might be a matter of choice - and you might want to give that some thought before you get too far.

    A "lumper" will have a minimum number of master sources, with a wide variety of citations/details; a "splitter" will define the master sources much more precisely, and as a result have a much longer list to work with. Most of us fall somewhere between the two. To give a couple of brief examples -

    A parish register baptism entry:
    Lumper - Master source "Parish Registers", Detail "xxx parish, baptism register, date, name etc"
    Splitter - Master source "xx parish baptism register covering years yyyy-zzzz", Detail "date, name etc"

    A census entry:
    Lumper - Master source "UK census", Detail "year/date, place, address, reference"
    Splitter - Master source "Census for (place, year)", Detail "address, reference"

    And whichever approach you tend towards, you will also have the option of including a direct quotation from the original document and any appropriate comments of your own.

    It may all seem rather complicated - and in my opinion source templates contribute to this; not using the templates works for me and seems a lot less hassle.

    Arthur

  5. #5
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    It certainly seems as tho the templates over complicate things and seems to be that so long as your Source / Citation is able to be used by someone else to find the information, that is all that is really needed

    I'll have a look at Family Historian and Rootsmagic UK version before I finally decide on which to use


  6. #6
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    The Master Genealogist UK edition is top of the heap but may be more advanced than you need.

    I saw a Legacy newsletter which I think was wrong in the way they thought citations should look. They should refer to the originals documents as far as possible so census citation could be "The National Archives (TNA); 1881 Census Returns; RG 11/1234 f 5 p 6" There shouldn't be a reference to Ancestry or FMP because the theory is that Ancestry and FMP will eventually cease to trade but the National Archives will still be there.

  7. #7
    MythicalMarian
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Goodey View Post
    The Master Genealogist UK edition is top of the heap but may be more advanced than you need.

    I saw a Legacy newsletter which I think was wrong in the way they thought citations should look. They should refer to the originals documents as far as possible so census citation could be "The National Archives (TNA); 1881 Census Returns; RG 11/1234 f 5 p 6" There shouldn't be a reference to Ancestry or FMP because the theory is that Ancestry and FMP will eventually cease to trade but the National Archives will still be there.
    Spot on here! I'm so glad someone else thinks like me. I have always cited the RG refs for a census and its 'owner' The National Archives, because surely that is the universal reference and you could find that on whichever site chooses to publish the census. And as Peter points out, there may not always be an Ancestry, but the census with its particular reference will remain an historical document.

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