I have finally decided to start my subcription to Ancestry.com, but have hit a bit of a barrier out of the gate--my old friend, citations.
Ancestry is very good at telling you exactly what the citation should be, but matching that to Evidence Explained--or the Source Writer template--seems a bit tricky at times. I'm working with the Federal census mortality schedules now. It appears that the mortality schedules on Ancestry come from a variety of NARA microfilms, depending on which state the information is coming from. It appears, unlike the Federal censuses for which each year cites a single microfilm reference (e.g. the 1860 census refers to M653), the "source of the source" here changes depending on the state. But I see no Legacy SourceWriter template. I also note that the Ancestry.com citation doesn't seem to match Mills, or Legacy. Take the 1860 population schedule. Legacy, modeling Mills, says the citation should look like this: 1860 U.S. census, Monroe County, New York population schedule; digital images, *Ancestry.com* (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M653. But Ancestry says: Ancestry.com. *1860 United States Federal Census* [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Citation junkies who use Ancestry, how do you reconcile this in your mind? Just two different systems? And, most importantly, how do you cite nonpopulation schedules given the absence of a template in Legacy? For example, I'm looking at an image of the 1860 Mortality Schedule for Lycoming County, PA. Ancestry lists: Citation #1: Ancestry.com. *U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885* [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. A portion of this collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Original data citations: General: United States. *Federal Mortality Census Schedules, 1850-1880 (formerly in the custody of the Daughters of the American Revolution), and Related Indexes, 1850-1880.* T655, 30 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. For PA, it then lists: United States. *Non-Population Census Schedules for Pennsylvania, 1850-1880: Mortality*. M1838, 11 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. The particular record I'm looking at appears to have come from roll M1838, so I suppose that is the citation I should use. I'm not sure when the generic U.S. citation would apply? Perhaps some records are from T655 and others from M1838. I *think* the right citation (Mills style) is: 1860 U.S. census, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania mortality schedule; digital images, *Ancestry.com* (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M1838. What do you think? And, again, most importantly how do you cite this in Legacy? Use the census template and overrride it? Something else? Thanks!! Scott 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
