Hi Peggy,
Master Source text can be set to print only the first time the source is used in a report.
A Source with *exactly* the same Source Detail (on all source detail tabs) will only print once in a report - so it doesn't matter how many times you use it.
I think it's best to add the real source for each detail you enter rather than a reference to it, especially if the reference is to another person as that person may not always be included in the report (eg individual report, family report)
I make a Master Source for every separate piece of paper, book, database or film I consult or file.
The Source Detail carries the page of the book or the particular database entry or census household with reference in the source detail and transcription in the source detail text.
Whether you make a Master Source as "unidentified newspapers" or make each cutting a Master Source is up to you. I'd be inclined to make each a Master Source unless there are a number of cuttings concerning the same event.
If you are getting a number of "Unidentified Newspaper" in your Master Source list then you are treating each cutting as a separate Master Source but giving them the same name - which is confusing.
I'd use as Source Title: Obituary for Joe Blow OR the header of the news item that was of interest.
Publication details: Unidentified Newspaper, unknown date (or (abt) 1934 - if you can work out an approximate date)
I make a Funeral Card a Master Source - what you put as the Source Name (as opposed to Title) is up to you. When looking for something do you think first of type or person or place? The source name is for your convenience.
Hope this helps, Cathy
At 11:52 3/05/2005, you wrote:
When I used Legacy several years ago I wasn't happy with the way I used the Master Source and the details. Now I'm getting bogged down again with this.
For example, I have an obituary that gives a lot of information about a person and their spouse and marriage date. If I use a Master Source for this under each bit of information, and paste the text into the master source or source detail, won't this text print for each event making a lot of redundancy in reports and print outs? I tried entering it once in the source detail and adding a reference to it in the other events ("See text under Jane Doe's death source") but have been re-reading Elizabeth Shown Mills "Evidence" and she warns not to do that but to put the whole thing into each source.
It seems, when reading her work that many sources won't have source details and there will be a lot of master sources. Source details would be primarily used for the book number, etc. Is that correct?
I have a number of newspaper obituaries and clippings that my mother saved, that are from unidentified newspapers and sometimes are undated (other than the dates given in the text). If I make a Master Source: "Unidentified Newspaper" and add the details under the source details, "Unidentified Newspaper" is listed as a number of separate sources in the Master Source list. But if I add the text and details to the Master Source, to differentiate it, won't it again print the whole thing out under each event it's used for?
Another problem is with funeral cards. I could add that as a category under type. Should I list the Master source as "Doe, Jane: Funeral Card? And add a type: "Funeral Cards?" Or would it be listed under, "Funeral Card, Doe, Jane?
I have to try and go back and do sourcing in a consistant way in my older legacy files, but until I understand better how to use them that would be a waste of time. I've printed out all the examples from the tips on the legacy site, but none address these specific issues (that I can see). I can't seem to find help in the help file (may have missed it) and Mills book, "Evidence" is focused on how to properly cite the sources, rather than how to enter them in Legacy's fields. I've also watched the training video, "Ultimate Guide to Sources" and am still confused.
Is there any place online, or in a book that offers simple help in this? I would be so grateful to learn how others handle some of these problems. I think it must be that I haven't grasped the concept of using Master Sources and Source Details.
Peggy
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