Searching the Internet can be rewarding and confusing when
dealing with genealogy. What is a Source? How valid is the source
are some of the concerns when you are compiling a genealogy.
In 1997, Elizabeth Shown Mills, published "Evidence!: Citation
and Analysis for the Family Historian" (Regional Publishing
Company, 1997) approximately 124 pages.
Ms. Mills has been the editor of the National Genealogical
Society's scholarly journal, the NGS Quarterly, she is a past
president and present trustee of the Board for Certification
of Genealogists and edits the Board's educational newsletter,
Onboard.
Her book addresses many formats that should be used
to reference electronic data found on the Internet.
Just about any information can be cited. However, does that
make the information a valid source?
Let's say you wish to cite this Email, how would you do it?
Daniel P. Carman, "Citation and Sourcing of Electronic Data,"
e-mail message from dcarman(a)worldnet.att.net (6182 Red
Fox Lane, Waldorf, MD 20603) to the Carman-contacts
Mailing List dated 29 January 1999, downloaded 29 January
1999.
Well we can see there is a bit of data here. You cite the
originator of the information, the email address, the snail mail
address (This is done since email changes all the time). The
date of the post and when you downloaded it. You reference
the download since you might retrieve it from a public archive.
That is citing information, however, is it valid? If you cannot
identify the originator of the information, and if you think it came
from a book or manuscript but you can't remember what then
more than likely you don't have a valid source.
The Internet can be like playing telephone. One person
tells some their information and then it is passed along. Before
you know it the information is not longer reflects the information
originally sent.
We see this a great deal in Carman Genealogy. For instance, the
Long Island Historian, Benjamin F. Thompson, wrote about the
Carman Family history in the mid-nineteenth century. There were
three editions of his book and the facts were adjusted several
times over a period of time. He did not reference primary sources
very well, so all you have is his account. 50-70 years later, Charles
Jolly Werner writes a book about Long Island Genealogies. To
a major degree he used the work of Benjamin F. Thompson but
more facts were added or changed. Mr. Werner also did not
cite primary sources. The information becomes more and more
distorted so that it no longer represents the actual facts.
The internet compounds this process. That is why it is important
that when we pass data, we should cite it. If you don't know where
the information came from then this information should either not
be passed out or you qualify the data. "The source of this information
could not be found. and is therefore suspect." Now let's think about this
a second. If you cannot identify the source of the information and you
cannot tie the information to known facts....then why post it???
This is not unique to just the Carman Surname but as much as the
Internet can be helpful, it can just as easily be an information cesspool.
Another handy reference for the Genealogist/Hobbyist is the book, "Cite
Your Sources," by Richard Lackey!
As our ancestors before us, we all play a part in how well our
history is recorded and accurately reflected!