Happy New Year, Folks. Many years ago, when I acquired my first version of Family Historian on CD from Calico Pie, the CD was accompanied by a free softback edition of a book by Elizabeth Shown Mills entitled "Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian", first published in 1997. For me, the book was the first to set out in a concise, clear and logical way, the fundamental principles of source analysis and citation *specifically designed for family historians*. It became my main reference for advice on how to cite my sources. Like Family Historian software, Elizabeth Shown Mills' ideas - and her published works - have gone through a number of refinements and updates over the years. The third edition of her most recent book on the subject was published in 2015 under the title "Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace", Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland. It runs to 892 pages and is available in hardcover and in Kindle digital format. Quoting from the publisher's blurb: --------------- Evidence Explained, the third edition explains citation principles for both traditional and nontraditional sources; includes more than 1,000 citation models for virtually every source type; and shows readers where to go to find their sources and how to describe and evaluate them. It contains many new citation models, updates to websites, and descriptions and evaluations of numerous contemporary materials not included in earlier editions. --------------- While her book focuses primarily on the sources used by US researchers, it includes many detailed examples of citations of British and Canadian sources, too. Of particular value in my view is the coverage Shown Mills gives to the citation of various internet sources, which now form such an important part of our research. In the US and Canada, Elizabeth Shown Mills is almost universally recognised as the ultimate authority on matters relating to citing of sources in family history. Indeed, she rarely receives a mention on this and other UK-orientated mailing lists. We do not have an equivalent authority here in Britain, but I see no reason why we should not adopt the Shown Mills approach, even if, like me, you judge that on some matters it is a little too prescriptive or pedantic. Kind regards, John ------------- John Ball Brecon, Powys Email: john@jlb2011.co.uk Website: www.jlb2011.co.uk Blog: johnofbrecon.com --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Elizabeth Shown Mills does crop up regularly in these [FHU] Mailings and in the FHUG Forums. I admit not having read her book, but I recall others saying it does not relate the principals to GEDCOM structures. Please correct me if I am mistaken. Regards, Mike Tate -----Original Message----- Subject: Re: [FHU] References Happy New Year, Folks. Many years ago, when I acquired my first version of Family Historian on CD from Calico Pie, the CD was accompanied by a free softback edition of a book by Elizabeth Shown Mills entitled "Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian", first published in 1997. For me, the book was the first to set out in a concise, clear and logical way, the fundamental principles of source analysis and citation *specifically designed for family historians*. It became my main reference for advice on how to cite my sources. Like Family Historian software, Elizabeth Shown Mills' ideas - and her published works - have gone through a number of refinements and updates over the years. The third edition of her most recent book on the subject was published in 2015 under the title "Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace", Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland. It runs to 892 pages and is available in hardcover and in Kindle digital format. Quoting from the publisher's blurb: --------------- Evidence Explained, the third edition explains citation principles for both traditional and nontraditional sources; includes more than 1,000 citation models for virtually every source type; and shows readers where to go to find their sources and how to describe and evaluate them. It contains many new citation models, updates to websites, and descriptions and evaluations of numerous contemporary materials not included in earlier editions. --------------- While her book focuses primarily on the sources used by US researchers, it includes many detailed examples of citations of British and Canadian sources, too. Of particular value in my view is the coverage Shown Mills gives to the citation of various internet sources, which now form such an important part of our research. In the US and Canada, Elizabeth Shown Mills is almost universally recognised as the ultimate authority on matters relating to citing of sources in family history. Indeed, she rarely receives a mention on this and other UK-orientated mailing lists. We do not have an equivalent authority here in Britain, but I see no reason why we should not adopt the Shown Mills approach, even if, like me, you judge that on some matters it is a little too prescriptive or pedantic. Kind regards, John