Mike Fry wrote: > Every time I delve deeper into the book, trying to correlate what Mills > is saying with the supplied templates and their associated details, I > become more and more depressed. > > The overwhelmingly vast majority of my research is based within the > United Kingdom - England and the Channel Islands to be exact. I get the > distinct impression that there is very little in the book or the > SourceWriter templates that really applies, or can be applied, to my > sources...
> And without the means of developing my own template, I am being forced > backwards and resort to using Basic Sourcing for all similar documents. I agree that the top of my wish list is a blank template: A master source (like a notes screen, with the ability to italize, etc.), and a detail screen. I'm not sure what the hangup on providing that would be from a programmers perspective. Theoretically, one should be able to override any template and do this, but as I recall, this causes all kinds of problems with citations printing properly unless one overrides each and every detail screen (the faulty logic of which has been discussed here in the past). Therefore, I try my best to never use a source override. I also avoid reverting to the Basic Source system because it does not allow me to construct a short citation or a proper bibliography. When I come upon a source where there is no template, or the template one would think should work doesn't, I craft the citation in my brain (or a word processor) first, then try to figure out which template comes closest: often, I have to leave fields blank and/or enter info in fields contrary to the field labels. It sometimes means things are italicized or in quotes that shouldn't be, but at least the info is there. I also make frequent use of the Text/Comments screen, checking it to print. Given that my ancestors mostly get lost in the backwoods of Virginia and Pennsylvania in the 18th century, I'm afraid I don't know enough about UK records and research to help with your specific problem. However, if Elizabeth Shown Mills were here, I'm sure she would say that it is essential to focus on the art and *principles* of source citation, not on how to plug data into a software template or on finding an example in her book that fits your problem exactly. There almost certainly will be something in Chapter 2 that will guide you. Then look at the Contents page in EE and think: Who created the record? A private person (or you don't know, but it wound up in your hands)? (Chapter 3) A church? (Chapter 7) A local government court?(Chapter 8) And so on. If Artifacts doesn't work, I'd think either Court > loose papers > basic format, or Church > certificates > basic format might, even if a church didn't issue the certificate. Hope this helps a bit to see the forest instead of the trees. Connie Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
