I need to standardise my 'sources' as, over time, they have lost some consistency.   I can't seem to find the answer in the FHUG knowledge base.  

I THINK I can change them this way (but I do have thousands of records, so want to be absolutely sure before I commit):

Go to records window, click on 'sources',  click on the name of the source which opens a 2nd window.   I can then make changes in this window.  However, does this change ALL the relevant sources?   If it does, what happens if there is then a duplication of source names?

I'd appreciate any thoughts/advice

Maureen Mitchell

Hi Lorna,

Very many thanks for your advice.

I've started to change names and found several which are  now duplicated - but I've sorted out  how to merge sources, checked and all OK.

Again - many thanks

Maureen

Like Maureen my Citation and Sourcing had become a real rag-bag.  So, a few years back, I thought the whole thing through and adopted the following practice: 

Managing Images for Sources & Citations

Personal factors come in here.  Some researchers seem to not worry about sources at all, or if they do, their system is often inconsistent.  That’s the way I started too!

Sources are meant to be where the information came from, whereas Citations should define how and in what way the source is relevant to the topic in question.

Commonly a source might be Find My Past Census records.  The Citation might be HO 107 Piece 7 Bk1 Fol 3 p2

But that’s hard work!

You know what you’ve found is available in one of several sources of census data.  But the key thing is who it is you’re interested in.  In this case my combined Citation AND Source is `Joseph Peacock b1742 1841 Bolnhurst HO 107 Piece 7 Bk1 Fol 3 p2

So, to that end I prefer to keep both Citation and Source stuff; both information and images, the same.  Occasionally a less frequent type of source may be a bit unusual.  Typically:

·         a gravestone or graveyard book entry

·         Letter dd/mm/yy from `Aunty Florence’

·         TNA WW2 Officers record

Obviously, such Sources need to be more specific.  However, I don’t believe in `sourcing’ what is bog-standard data from Parish records or Censuses.  I just cite what I need to know, and keep it the same for the source.

Consistency

Since I started a couple of decades ago my source referencing had been totally inconsistent!    So, a couple of years ago I changed my ways.  Now, pinned to wall in front of my desk, I have, a standard aide-memoir that reads:

File Entry Format - for Family History Sources

 Name > Birth Year > Type > Location > Event Date

Types used:

•                    Baptism

•                    Birth

•                    Marriage

•                    Death

•                    Burial

•                    Other Docs

I’ve been following that practice as religiously as possible for new entries, but as I’m continually making those amendments to the `old stuff’ life, is getting more consistent.

The practice definitely helps.

I also keep the citation text the same as the file name for the image.

For example:  suppose I obtain a baptism image.  I give it a filename as per format above.  e.g. Elizabeth Johnson b1839 Baptism Wilden13-12-1839.  I select and copy that same filename to clipboard.  Move to the right place in FH and create the `fact’ entry as a baptism entry.  Then create the source by pasting the same filename.  I can then `Add media for the Citation’ by the following process.

Adding Images

In Family Historian, if you add an image in the Citation area it doesn’t appear in the Source area.  I advise that you always add images to the `lower’ Source box first: they then automatically appear as a Citation.
Geoff Johnson