Every once in a while, I see a discussion on a mailing list or bulletin board that deals with the definition of a source. There are times when the answer is accepted immediately, and there are other times when the discussion continues as different camps share their opinions. The Internet and the variety of records, resources, and aspects available through it explain to some degree why there is such confusion on the issue.
Some people believe that a source must be an official document or record, such as a published family history or a certified copy of a marriage certificate. If it isn’t "official," some researchers won’t properly cite it. To be an effective researcher, though, it is necessary to record and cite all items that supply information. If a mailing list message provides the name of a previously unknown spouse and the date and place of marriage, the mailing list is the source. If a search of the Social Security Death Index supplies a death date, which is then entered in the database before obtaining a death certificate or other evidence, the SSDI is the source.
Sources on the Internet
The Internet, like other sources, is not a single entity; it is a compilation of many types of electronic sources including mailing lists, compiled family history Web pages, searchable databases, and more. As such, it is not possible to simply cite "the Internet" when referencing one of these resources. Think of the Internet as an electronic library where researchers can access resources equivalent to books, periodicals, and census microfilms.
If a genealogist states that the birth event and parents’ names of Jane Smith were found "on the Internet," this does not help other researchers follow up on this information or effectively evaluate the conclusions. It is necessary for source citations to clearly differentiate between the many Internet sources. When a researcher combines the Internet and other electronic formats with the bibliographic citations for regular resources, he or she can be assured of complete, accurately cited sources.
Citing Internet Sources
Because the Internet is such a new resource, few people know proper source citations for the Internet records they use. While Elizabeth Shown Mills’ book Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian has been available since 1997, there are still some researchers who are unaware of it. This volume was produced to update Richard S. Lackey’s book, Cite Your Sources: A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records. (When Lackey authored this volume, the Internet was still in the infant stage.)
For more reference help when citing electronic sources, consult the chapter in the MLA Handbook for Writers, 5th ed. (New York: MLA, 1999) called "MLA Style: Paper and Electronic," by Claire Gunnels and Shielda Welling. Or consult Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor’s The Columbia Guide to Online Style (Irvington, New York: Columbia University Press, 1998). Using these volumes should eliminate any questions about the information that should be included when citing electronic sources.
Source Citation Examples
Genealogists rely on some standard resources when using the Internet, including mailing list messages and Web sites. Each of these resources is accessed in a different manner and requires a different research method to relocate the information. Notice in the following examples that each resource includes the information necessary to relocate the message or site. In the case of electronic mail, a mailing address should also be used.
Rhonda R. McClure, "Endicott Family Abstracts," e-mail message from rhondam@thegenealogist.com (P.O. Box 700295, St. Cloud, FL 34770-0295) to Myra Vanderpool Gormley, 25 September 1993.
Message by Rhonda R. McClure, "Daniel MCCLAIN, PA 1749," rhondam@thegenealogist.com, listserv message to McClain List McClain-L@rootsweb.com, 4 July 1999. Printout dated 5 July 1999.
Ancestors of Christopher Standerfer, online homepages.rootsweb.com/~rhonda/stander/index.htm, Rhonda R. McClure, compiler rhondam@thegenealogist.com (P.O. Box 700295, St. Cloud, FL 34770-0295), print out dated 3 March 1999.
Each of the above examples adheres to the recommended style in Evidence!. Many genealogists find this format the easiest to use. Notice in the examples listed above that each one includes information about when a printout was made. This referencing is almost more important with online resources than it is with published books and microfilms. The Internet changes frequently, and any Web site that is here today may be gone tomorrow. It may become impossible to re-evaluate a Web site at a later date if there is no paper record of the Web page.
Researchers are encouraged to keep a hard copy of any information on which they are relying. If the e-mail message supplies a clue to an ancestor, print it out and file it with other photocopies and letters on that research. Also, print out the Web page that contains the pertinent details on a given family or lineage. In addition to having the information to refer to, the URL that is necessary for proper source citation will be included on the bottom of the printed page, making it convenient to cite.
It’s easy to understand why it is so important to cite whatever record or resource supplied the date, place, event, name, or even story of your ancestor. The more complete a source citation, the better the chance of returning to the source, should reevaluation be necessary. The Internet is a tool genealogists rely heavily upon, and it is up to each of us to properly cite and reference it so that everyone can benefit from our research.
Rhonda R. McClure is the author of the award-winning The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Genealogy and the editor of Family Tree Finders, an e-mail newsletter.
Return to the Ancestry Magazine January/February 2001 Table of Contents.
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