RootsMagic 8 Preview - Sources

A look at some of the new source and citation features in the upcoming RootsMagic 8.

[@ellapurkiss8071]

Excited about the sources that we can really work with and use multiples within a master source. That will help to clean up the database a lot. I used to be a computer programmer and can appreciate the time and effort that has gone into this. Thank you all.

[@dplittle]

Major ThumbsUp to the ability to merge sources and citations. And the ability to reuse citations. This will help clean up my Sources and Citations.

[@christylarsen691]

I am excited for this new version to come out. I am taking Family History Research Courses through BYU-Idaho. We are going through RootsMagic for a couple of weeks this semester. Thank you for all the hard work you and your Beta Testers are doing to get this Version 8 out.

[@bethgolden3616]

Awesome work! I used to be a programmer decades ago and appreciate all of the hard work that's going into RM8. Can't wait to use the new version. Thank you so much!!

[@yvonnejrichards]

Hmm. I think citations and sources need a video that walks you through them in detail. I use citations in RM7 and they are named ie I have a record source to attach to say a census return. I name that citation according to the ancestor file it's attached to. I can see reusing a Census Source multiple times but I still attach that source within my citation. I find it troubling that reusing a citation changes it for every other person it's attached to.

[@waltrobbinsjr9041]

Thanks Bruce, that clears up most of the questions I had about the new sources and sourcing in RM-8.

[@kellydiaz]

Looks great! Can't wait to upgrade!

[@conniekalina3115]

I'm not sure I was ever using sources correctly so I'm a little concerned how this is going to affect my records.

[@nancyaiello6752]

I was disappointed RootsMagic was not at Rootech.

[@GaryPetranek]

Thanks for the update, I'll use it in my next RM group meeting.

[@spydermcfly]

where and how do you have your RM group meetings? is something I could join?

[@SirWillow]

Looks wonderful. I love the new compiled citations. I only have one concern, and that's with sharing a citation across multiple facts at the time of entry. In RM 7 there is a very handy "memorize"/ "paste" function that is wonderful to use when, for example, entering in data for multiple people and facts from a census. I don't see anything like that now, and it looks like what is currently a one-click system to add a duplicated source is now going to be multiple clicks and scrolling. Or is that still there and I don't see it?

[@mollieking7432]

I have the same question. I frequently reuse the same citation - such as a family group entry in a US Federal Census - to enter all the personal details (birth date, birth place, occupation, marital status) for every individual in the family, and Memorize/Paste is extremely convenient for streamlining this process.

[@virginiahorvath7595]

It looks like you would select the source and then select the citation already created, sounds like it does the same function but a couple extra clicks. I use the memorize and paste function all the time too but this still looks easier to me. But I also have a lot of pre-work to do to get my sources cleaned up before RM8 comes out.

[@sherryarcher4832]

So far I love all the new features. Will RM 8 work with a Chromebook with full features or will it be a stripped down mobile app?

[@snailrancher]

How well are sources explored and imported from GEDCOM files? One problem I have now is data being lost when using templates; freer is usually okay

[@rosemarybirch3655]

I want to be able to create and print simple trees from just one small line from my family tree. This is not possible in RM 7, without creating a whole new tree. Will it be possible in RM 8?

[@francem3551]

This may sound redundant; Is there a support group out there to help beginners get started? I am overwhelmed by the data display every time I open the software. Haven't done much yet, but I like the concept. Just need some support.

[@tomhill4765]

There is one on Facebook

[@MarquettePhragmitesPond]

Will this program support the New Mac Catalina system?

[@SeanLamb-I-Am]

I don't see any keyboard shortcuts on the screen. My data entry is fastest when I can use keyboard shortcuts and not jump over to the mouse for every little item.

[@bassoonkap]

Could you please explain the difference between a "citation" and a "source" - the terms are redundant and, therefore, confusing.

[@PaulBrocklehurst]

Source=book. Citation=page in book

[@bassoonkap]

Paul Brocklehurst that doesn’t make sense.

[@Deezzaa13]

@@bassoonkap Try this instead: a complete census is the source, the specific entry you want in that census is the citation. You go from the general (source) to the specific (citation). But you don't have to do it this way - you can do things however you wish to suit yourself.

[@bassoonkap]

@David Allen unfortunately, that still doesn’t make sense - for some unknown reason, people in genealogy seem to have a need to make things overly complicated and redefine terms which are used consistently by other fields. In doing so, they merely dig themselves into deeper and deeper holes. As an academic myself, a “citation” is a reference to a source that allows others to find the exact same record, a citation, by definition, includes the source with sufficient information to find locate specific information within it. As an example, merely starting that the “source” is the 1900 U.S. is far, far too broad as such records are further delineated by state, enumeration district, township, etc., etc. To state that the “source” is the 1900 U.S. Census without additional information is meaningless. The inverse is also true - to cite “specifics” without the “source” is equally useless. Thus, “source” can’t be separated from “citation” and visa versa. A VERY common admonishment within academic disciplines is “cite your sources!” Again, the two can’t be separated. Attempting to separate the two, causes considerable confusion and leads to shoddy documentation (which is my vehement criticism of “Evidence Explained). In order to address the theoretically endless types of documentation that scholarly genealogies must consider.

[@spydermcfly]

@@bassoonkap your definition of a "citation" is correct. There are 2 popular ways of citing your sources in genealogy: lumper and splitter. A splitter creates a single citation, which includes the source details and the specific details to find the information with in that source, for each specific piece of information while a lumper creates an number of "citations" connected to a single source. RM separates the source and citation (previously called "detail" if I recall) to allow us to document the source (ie. 1850 Census, NY, Ancestry.com, ....) and then add a detail/citation for the information in the source (ie. John Smith, page 34, line 4, ... and Jane Doe, page 10, line 14,...). But I agree it is unclear why the new version calls the detail "citation". Cheers