GenDoc Study Group: Chapter 9

Mastering Genealogical Documentation Study Group

Chapter Nine – Citing Absent, Hidden, Obvious, and Perplexing Dates

Marceline Beem

Reference:

Jones, Thomas W. "Citing Absent, Hidden, Obvious, and Perplexing Dates." In Mastering Genealogical Documentation, 89-94. Arlington, VA: National Genealogical Society, 2017.

This week’s chapter discusses how to answer the WHEN question in a citation.   The homework section suggests we use sources from our own research to answer the when question for several types of sources (see questions 79-83).  

Books

Citations for books use the date of publication to answer the WHEN question.  In my example, the book was published in 1936.  Notice that the answer to WHEN is not included in the shortened citation, as it is not necessary to identifying the source. 

Source List Entry

Beem, Nelson.  A History of the Michael Beem Family.  Loudonville, Ohio: n.p., 1936.

Full Reference Note

Beem, Nelson Clifford, A History of the Michael Beem Family (Loudonville, Ohio: n.p., 1936), 32.

Short Note

Beem,  A History of the Michael Beem Family, 32.

Journal or magazine

To answer the WHEN question for journals or magazines, use the date of publication, including the month or quarter. In citing an article from the Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly, I use October 1901, the issue date of the article.  Again, the date is not included in the short note, as it is not needed for clarity in identifying the source. 

Source List Entry

Jennings, William H., “Marriage Record, Washington County, Ohio,” Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly 4 (October 1901): 128-131.

Full Reference Note

William H. Jennings, “Marriage Record, Washington County, Ohio,” Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly 4 (October 1901): 128-131, specifically page 130.

Short Note

Jennings, “Marriage Record, Washington County, Ohio,” 130.

Website

Citations for website use the date of publication, if known, or the date viewed/accessed. This particular website was first published in 2009, and I viewed it on September 23, 2017. Once again, the WHEN is not needed in the short note, so it is omitted.

Source List Entry

Coggins, Allen R. The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. http://www.tennesseeencyclopedia.net : 2009.

Full Reference Note

Allen R. Coggins, The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture (http://www.tennesseeencyclopedia.net : published 2009, viewed 26 September 2017), “Fraterville Mine Explosion.”

Short Note

Coggins, The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, “Fraterville Mine Explosion.”

Unpublished source with only one WHEN answer 

I interviewed my great-aunt, Nel (Beem) Critchett, by phone early in my genealogy research.  I took notes, but did not record and transcribe the interview.  I also didn’t record the date, a newbie mistake, but I can estimate one because I know when I started doing genealogy research, and remember that I interviewed her within a year of my father’s death in 1998.  I can cite the date by using a qualifier to let my audience know that the date is an estimate.  Here the when IS included in the short note, as I may have more than one interview with Aunt Nel.  The date is needed to identify which interview is being referenced.

Source List Entry

Critchett, Nella (Beem).  Bend, Oregon. Phone interview by Marceline R. Beem, about 1999.  Interview notes.  Privately held by interviewer, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE] Melrose, Florida, 1999.

Full Reference Note

Nella (Beem) Critchett, daughter of Frances Horton Wallace Beem, (Bend, Oregon), phone interview by Marceline Beem, about 1999; notes privately held by interviewer, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE] Melrose, Florida, 1999.

Short Note

Nella (Beem) Critchett, phone interview, about 1999.

Unpublished source with more than one WHEN answer

My great-grandfather received a military pension for his Spanish-American War service.  When citing this pension, I need to include the record group and the date span of that record group.  However, that is not enough to answer the WHEN question.  This particular pension file covers a broad date range (1924-1954), and contains close to 1,500 pages.  I always include the particular document – medical exam, interview, sworn affidavit, letter – and the date it was created as part of the citation.  The WHEN answer is included in the short note, as it is needed to identify which document is being referenced.

 

Arthur M. Beem's Spanish-American War Pension File

Source List Entry

Civil War and Later Pension Files.  Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15.  National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Full Reference Note

Letter from Arthur Beem dated July 13, 1950, Arthur M. Beem (Sgt., Co. E, 4^th Ill. Inf., Spanish American War), certificate number 1,257,614, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications, 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C

Short Note

Letter from Arthur Beem dated July 13, 1950, Arthur M. Beem, Spanish American War pension certificate number 1,257,614.

GenDoc Study Group: Week 6

Mastering Genealogical Documentation Study Group

Chapter Six – Publication Status

Marceline Beem

Reference:

Jones, Thomas W. "Determining a Source’s Publiction Status." In Mastering Genealogical Documentation, 63-70. Arlington, VA: National Genealogical Society, 2017.

In this week’s reading, we learn how to determine if a source is published or unpublished, and once we make that determination, what to do about it in our citations.  When citing published sources, genealogists usually would not name the repository, although if the published work is viewed online, such as digitized images at Ancestry or FamilySearch, our citation would include the website and date accessed. Unpublished sources, however, are not usually widely available, so the citation needs to show the repository. The repository may be a public place, such as a county archives, or it may be a document found in someone’s personal files at home. 

Unpublished manuscript at a library

The University of Florida’s library holds some papers from my grandmother’s uncle in its manuscript collection.  These writings and other documents are not published and are not online.  The only way to view them is to visit the library in Gainesville, Florida.  To cite this manuscript collection, I must first answer these questions, which I can do using the card catalog:

Who said it?  Charles Henry Price

In what (source) did he say it? his personal memoirs written to his wife, Lillian

When did he say it? 1945

Where is that source located? University of Florida, Smathers Library, Special Collections, Manuscripts, Fl.Misc.Ms.01,175

Now that I've answered the questions about the citation, I can craft that citation.  Note that because the short citation needs to include only enough information to accurately identify a previous citation, it does not include the repository.  At some point I may find other correspondence between Charles and Lillian, written in a different year, so I am including the year in the short citation to avoid potential confusion down the road. 

Full Note:

Charles Henry Price, to Lillian O’Haver Price, personal memoirs, 1945; held by University of Florida, Smathers Library, Special Collections, Manuscripts, FL.Misc.Ms.01,175.

Short Note:

C.H. Price to Lillian O. Price, personal memoirs, 1945.

Unpublished document in my own files

My father was an ordained pastor, and I have the certificate signed by members of the committee that granted him the credential.  To view the certificate, someone would need to know that I have it, contact me, ask permission to view it, and then make arrangements to view it.  If I decide to write about my father’s ordination, I could use this certificate as evidence.  To craft the citation, I answer the four questions:

Who said it? The Christian and Missionary Alliance

In what did the church say it? Certificate of Ordination awarded to John A. Beem, signed by committee chair Rev. Keith M. Bailey and other committee members

When did the church say it? The certificate is dated 15 Feb 1972

Where is the source located?  The certificate is privately held by Marceline Beem of Melrose, Florida.  She received the certificate from her mother in 2015.

Again I use these answers to create a citation.  Because there is only one certificate of ordination, I have omitted the name of the committee chair and the date the certificate was signed in the short citation, as well as the repository.

Full Note:

Christian and Missionary Alliance, Certificate of Ordination for John A. Beem, signed by Rev. Keith M. Bailey, committee chair, dated 15 Feb 1972; privately held by Marceline Beem, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Melrose, Florida, 2015.

Short Note:

Christian and Missionary Alliance, Certificate of Ordination for John A. Beem.