Does Crista Cowan Over Do It With Her Genealogy Source Citations?

A viewer asks if Crista Cowan, of Ancestry.com, is doing too much in writing about her sources or if the viewer is a lazy genealogist. Discover whether source citations are worth all the effort people
✅ Source Citations For Those You Dislike Them 👉🏼 • Genealogy Source Citat...
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
02:27 Are You A Serious Genealogist
04:44 What is a genealogy citation?
06:11 How to Transcribe sources
06:50 How to make an abstract
07:22 Why abstract the original document?
08:00 Why Do We Associate Sources with Individuals?
08:50 Conflicting Source Information
10:55 Why research and write everything up?
15:11 Get a FREE Genealogy Resources
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[@wendys1404]

As the researcher for my family, I document everything that I find. I have learned so much from you and your husband, Crista Cowan and Connie @Genealogy TV. I have designed my own excel spreadsheets for my research. I keep track of not just the names and important dates, but also their Find A Grave ID number, cemetery name and location. I have folders for each family line where I save photos, headstone photos, obits, and other information. Not only do I research our ancestors, I also research all of the descendants. I really gets me upset when someone has a DOB and DOD but there is no document to back up the information. I have a FB group for our family line and I do all that I do so that our descendants won't have to work so hard. Thank you all for the wonderful information that you bring to us!!

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Thanks for watching all the genealogy KZbinrs you mentioned. Descendancy research is where it's at! Glad you work on those lines. The missing DOB and DOD in some digital family trees are hold overs from previous family tree building attempts. I know in the 1970s, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were asked to create and submit to the precursor to FamilySearch a four-generation chart. While the invitation was extremely successful, the charts lacked documentation. Thus, many of those documents have DOD and DOB without a source. When FS launched in 2012, the database created from these submissions were added to the family tree for us to 'figure out.' So, I strive not to get frustrated so much, but at least attempt to understand the history of family tree building. Then I strive for accuracy in what I do. I make mistakes, but at least I try to document what I used when I made the mistake. :)

[@wendys1404]

@@FamilyHistoryFanatics Thank you so very much for responding! And for that explanation! That does help explain things for me. Have a wonderful week and keep up those awesome videos!

[@GenealogyTV]

Good stuff as usual. I developed my own formula for writing source citations. Using the five Ws but added two “when’s”. When it was created and when it was found. Thanks guys for sharing.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

That's a great tip. Thanks

[@AuntieJensFamilyTrees]

Thank you for taking the time to explain this. Recording sources & citations have always been difficult for me. Knowing what to include & making sense of it all. This is definitely my weak area.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

I think many people struggle and I'm greatful that many platforms are simplifying the process.

[@deckocards6988]

Thanks, Devon! I appreciate your answer to my question. That helped me to think more about it :-)

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Thanks for the question and your specific reference. That helped me give you a more accurate answer. Keep them coming. We love having you in the community.

[@lollyfullerton]

So pleased you helped me understand

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Glad I can help

[@roadtoyourfamilyhistory9987]

I've been doing research for 30+ years. For at least the first 20 years, I was not very good at documenting my sources. Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't. I'm kicking myself now! Now that I'm more experienced, I'd like to further explore some of the sources that I didn't note at all. Nobody said that genealogy is easy, even for a casual researcher,. But it is made soooo much easier if you take the time to document your sources as you go along!

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Agreed. Making note of the source of our information is good practice, something we learned in High School English and tech writing. However, some citations are excess, rather than simple, and that is a major turn off for many casual researchers. There is a spectrum and I'd like to see folks lean more toward indicating the source of their information yet not going overboard in focusing on where a comma goes.

[@scottlawder7617]

I like that you have opinion on things.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

You're welcome

[@larrykraft2743]

Very good question and very good answer! I feel I have a good understanding of the concepts you’re describing so clearly, But could you follow up by demonstrating one or two concrete examples showing a well-written abstract or conclusion, say. Maybe show where it can be found in a particular website or genealogy program?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Thanks, Larry. I have this added to our video suggestion log. Thanks.

[@deckocards6988]

Hi Larry. You can also view Crista Cowan here on KZbin. She has many wonderful videos on genealogy for beginners all the way to those who are aiming to be a professional. I wanted to get Andy and Devon's take on it because they are also as knowledgeable as Crista and I like getting different takes on how people do their genealogy.

[@SereniaSaissa]

Having heard the question and before I start watching the details of Devons response, I would like to put in my 2 pennies worth of knowledge. One of the biggest reasons that i know of, for writing the details in a source (or citation) - what you called redundancy - is because not everyone has a subscription or has access to Ancestry records. Especially a newby to genealogy who is just starting out. If they cannot access Ancestry, how can they see that citation or the details for themselves? Genealogy is rather an expensive hobby and not everyone can afford to pay for all the subscription sites, and if they do have an Ancestry subscription, it may only be for a certain area and not an international sub. I would rather have too many citations, than too few!!!! For the record I am a fairly serious genealogist - I tell myself that I am at the intermediate level. Not a beginner but definitely not an expert. I have been doing this quite seriously since the year 2001.

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

SereniaSaissa. Thanks for weighing in. The write-up and expenditures are very real considerations. I think we confuse citations and conclusions. Citations should be telling people what source you used. It doesn't have to be long-winded. The conclusions and "reasons I did this or that" should be done as often as possible. However, some folks put conclusion and analysis in their citations and that's a pain (from my perspective).

[@barbarahawkins7930]

I have a feeling that 1795 marriage of William Lord and a Milliford Whiting ( Milliford??? wha? ) anyway, you see them in Upson, GA 1795 then again in Warren County, GA married May 7, 1796 Maybe Milliford's surname was Whiiten instead of Whiting plus Milliford's real name was Amelia I don't even see these people until they had a son Thomas Hobart Lord 1805 Christian County, KY then they are all there in Coffe County, TN in the 1830 census something just does not seem to be correct here.. something is off ! What do we do next? Thank you so much Devon.