We all know how important it is in genealogy to know where you found information and to include that citation with the individual's data. Original documentation is preferred, but this is not always possible due to various hindrances, so we use secondary sources such as compilations of vital records, wills, deeds, etc. as well as the many county histories and personal genealogies available at our libraries. Citing these sources is easy, since we know exactly where the data came from and can use that agency or book to obtain the proper notation information. We also find information through mailing lists and other web sites. This is where many of us would often like to know more about exactly where this information came from. It's so nice when the poster of the information at least cites the volume where it was found, since there may even be more in that book of interest in other areas of research. I don't know about you all, but I like to actually see the data with my own eyes, if at all possible. If the book is not available at your local library, you can often find it through ILL or have someone copy the page(s) you need plus the title page for the proper notations. Somewhere I had seen someone write that "Genealogy without sources is fantasy." To be most helpful to fellow researchers, try to cite your sources when posting information. Thank you. -Linnea Miller List Administrator --

I heartily agree with what you say here Linnea. My family has all agreed that we will not enter any information into our family tree that is not verified by reliable sources. I have also found that many, many times I have to spend time emailing someone who has posted information that is of interest to me and ask for their sources. One person got upset with me for emailing her and said she had all the sources online.........but never told me where. If she would have had her web site in her post that would have helped and I would not have had to bother her. In many other instances, I have been very surprised to find that a lot of people are just using information from someone else's web site and accepting it as true without having any idea of the sources. So then I have to end up emailing the owners of the web sites also. A lot of time would indeed be saved by posting sources along with the information. But overall, genealogy is a field that is full of very caring sharing people and I have met many of them through these mailing lists. I have a question........what is ILL that you mention in your post below? Thank you, Elizabeth =================================================== ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linnea Travis Miller" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 3:46 PM Subject: [PALEBANO] FYI: Citing your sources > We all know how important it is in genealogy to know where you found > information and to include that citation with the individual's data. > Original documentation is preferred, but this is not always possible > due to various hindrances, so we use secondary sources such as > compilations of vital records, wills, deeds, etc. as well as the many > county histories and personal genealogies available at our libraries. > Citing these sources is easy, since we know exactly where the data > came from and can use that agency or book to obtain the proper > notation information. > > We also find information through mailing lists and other web sites. > This is where many of us would often like to know more about exactly > where this information came from. It's so nice when the poster of the > information at least cites the volume where it was found, since there > may even be more in that book of interest in other areas of research. > > I don't know about you all, but I like to actually see the data with > my own eyes, if at all possible. If the book is not available at your > local library, you can often find it through ILL or have someone copy > the page(s) you need plus the title page for the proper notations. > > Somewhere I had seen someone write that "Genealogy without sources is > fantasy." To be most helpful to fellow researchers, try to cite your > sources when posting information. Thank you. > > -Linnea Miller > List Administrator > -- > > > ==== PALEBANO Mailing List ==== > to contact list manager: [email protected] >

ILL = Inter-Library Loan At 5:10 PM -0400 6/20/03, betlar wrote: >I heartily agree with what you say here Linnea. My family has all agreed >that we will not enter any information into our family tree that is not >verified by reliable sources. I have also found that many, many times I have >to spend time emailing someone who has posted information that is of >interest to me and ask for their sources. One person got upset with me for >emailing her and said she had all the sources online.........but never told >me where. If she would have had her web site in her post that would have >helped and I would not have had to bother her. > >In many other instances, I have been very surprised to find that a lot of >people are just using information from someone else's web site and accepting >it as true without having any idea of the sources. So then I have to end up >emailing the owners of the web sites also. A lot of time would indeed be >saved by posting sources along with the information. But overall, genealogy >is a field that is full of very caring sharing people and I have met many of >them through these mailing lists. > >I have a question........what is ILL that you mention in your post below? > >Thank you, >Elizabeth --