Some of us will remember when Richard S. Lackey's "Cite Your Source" was
first published, and became the 'bible' for documenting family histories and
genealogical records. Then in 1997 Elizabeth Shown Mills' "Evidence! Citation
Analysis for the Family Historian" was published.
Now that almost all of us are using computers for genealogy, Ms. Mills offers a really
neat tool - "QuickSheet. Citing Online Historical Sources." Published in the
form of a laminated 4-page folder, the QuickSheet offers a series of sample citations
showing the correct easy to identify online sources such as databases, census images, and
digital books and articles. Convenient for desktop use at home or in the library, the
QuickSheet will answer those unanswered question from standard citation guides.
Based on the premise that a website is the online equivalent of a published book in their
own right, and have the same characteristics as printed publications, Ms. Mills has given
us rules and models for common record types such as passenger lists, vital records,
newspapers, etc. The QuickSheet will show you how to cite author/creator/owner of a
website, title of the website, place (URL), date posted, and so forth. In addition to the
Models for Common Record Types, the QuickSheet also offers Basic Templates.
All in all, a neat tool at a very reasonable price.
8-1/2" x 11", 4 pp. folded. $5.95. Published by Genealogical Publishing Company
(2005)
you may order on line at
http://www.genealogical.com/ Shipping will be $2 additional.
There are times, of course, when a specific online site gives the citation they prefer you
to use. One such is "The New Handbook of Texas Online" at
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/ ***
Review by
Trevia Wooster Beverly
Tejas Publications & Research
Houston, Texas
*** When Elizabeth sent a thank you note, she added:
And those recommendations create really interesting bibliographies and reference notes,
when we follow them--considering that every site (like every archive) seems to have a
different preferred style!
Ralph Waldo Emerson undoubtedly anticipated this when he observed that "a foolish
consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" <g>.
Elizabeth