I’ve been paying particular attention to my citations lately, trying to bring them all up to the correct level: making sure that the format is right and all pertinent information is in there. I get most of my information about genealogical methodology from US sources, but I live in the Netherlands and my sources are typical Dutch sources. Also, many archives here in the Netherlands offer citation instructions for their collections – which, by the way, I often find lacking, leading to incomplete citations if followed to the letter. But it has gotten me to notice a difference that seems to be fundamental between US citation style and European (or at least Dutch) citation style: the order of the different elements. For instance, I have a deed of sale from a notarial archive of a village. This archive is a collection found in the Regional Archive Leiden. I cited it in my last blog post (and in my database) in the US style (and hope I got it right): Deed of Sale from Johannes Pieter Schmal for Hendrik Wesselo as father of his minor son Lodewijk Wesselo, 5 August 1898 (filed 6 August 1898). Deeds 1898, inventory number 4, number access 739B, Notarial archives Voorschoten, Regional Archive Leiden, Leiden, Zuid-Holland. However, if I were to do it as the archive suggests/instructs, in European style, the citation would look like this: Regional Archive Leiden, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Notarial archives Voorschoten, number access 739B, inventory number 4, deeds 1898. Deed of Sale from Johannes Pieter Schmal for Hendrik Wesselo as father of his minor son Lodewijk Wesselo, 5 August 1898 (filed 6 August 1898). At least, the order would look something like that. I will admit that I find that style (going from large to small) far more complicated than the US style of citing, beginning with the specific record and ending with the archive. Anyway, my question is, does it matter which style I use? Should I use the European style because I live in the Netherlands and my research pertains to my Dutch ancestors? Or should I use the European style because it’s an European archive/record, and use US style for US based records/archives? Or can I use US style as long as I do it consistently? For the record, this is just my personal research, the only publications of this are on my blog. So no clients or editors that have a say in this or opinion about this. Thanks in advance for any help on this issue. Joyce