As a genealogist you should never start an investigation thinking of com- mitting your records and sources to memory. All your notes should be re- tained in written form. If you can prop- erly learn to abstract a document, you can also learn to properly cite it so that someone else can quickly locate the same record. As Richard S. Lackey states in his book Cite Your Sources: A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records, ―No person, no matter what his station, should decide that his credibility rank eliminates the need for standard documentation of genealogi- cal work.‖ This should also be re- membered when looking at someone else’s work. Every genealogist should want the results of his work to be use- ful, even if it is never published. So all should be seriously concerned in de- veloping standard form and apt writ- ten citation of documents. Richard S Lackey gives the following as a few examples of ―Nonstandard and unac- ceptable forms‖: “Deeds of North Carolina, #30 – p.10”; “The Library of Congress”; “Marriage Bond B, Folio 169, Office of the Superior Court, Courthouse”; “A History of My Fam- ily and Allied Lines, (pages 176- 192) by a professional genealogist”. The preceding examples are impos- sible to use as they are poor and meaningless citations. The basic use of Reference Notes is to: Make cross references to information; To cite the exact source of the information; To ex- plain, add information, or make statements which amplify the text or cited source; To acknowledge the correct source. One of the most important rules governing the documentation of ge- nealogical sources, is to cite the specific source seen by the re- searcher. This is the one personally seen by the researcher. This may be a published source, even though the original would be the best possi- ble source, it may no longer be available. I myself cite the source I see, be it published, and then try to find the original source and cite that, once it has been physically seen by myself. Volume 3 Issue 2 Documentation/Citation—Why? October 2007 October Meeting  Thursday, October 4th 7:00 p.m. 12th & Connection—  Church of Jesus Christ of  Latter Day Saints  Membership Dues to Pauline Aldrich  Singles: $15.00  Couples: $20.00 Fraud & Its Damage 2 Shelton Valley News 2 E-mails 2 Saving Your Family Treasures 3 Leaping Years 3 Stir a Child’s Interest 4 1900 4 Inside this issue: The Mason Log Mason County Genealogical Society Genealogy: That branch of history which involves the determina- tion of family relation- ships. This is not done by copying but rather by research. Research: An investi- gation aimed at the dis- covery and the inter- pretation of facts and also the revision of ac- cepted theories in light of new facts. Researcher’s Guide to Ameri- can Genealogy, 3rd edition, Greenwood, Val D., page 3 DEFINITIONS , OCR Text: As a genealogist you should never start an investigation thinking of com- mitting your records and sources to memory. All your notes should be re- tained in written form. If you can prop- erly learn to abstract a document, you can also learn to properly cite it so that someone else can quickly locate the same record. As Richard S. Lackey states in his book Cite Your Sources: A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records, ―No person, no matter what his station, should decide that his credibility rank eliminates the need for standard documentation of genealogi- cal work.‖ This should also be re- membered when looking at someone else’s work. Every genealogist should want the results of his work to be use- ful, even if it is never published. So all should be seriously concerned in de- veloping standard form and apt writ- ten citation of documents. Richard S Lackey gives the following as a few examples of ―Nonstandard and unac- ceptable forms‖: “Deeds of North Carolina, #30 – p.10”; “The Library of Congress”; “Marriage Bond B, Folio 169, Office of the Superior Court, Courthouse”; “A History of My Fam- ily and Allied Lines, (pages 176- 192) by a professional genealogist”. The preceding examples are impos- sible to use as they are poor and meaningless citations. The basic use of Reference Notes is to: Make cross references to information; To cite the exact source of the information; To ex- plain, add information, or make statements which amplify the text or cited source; To acknowledge the correct source. One of the most important rules governing the documentation of ge- nealogical sources, is to cite the specific source seen by the re- searcher. This is the one personally seen by the researcher. This may be a published source, even though the original would be the best possi- ble source, it may no longer be available. I myself cite the source I see, be it published, and then try to find the original source and cite that, once it has been physically seen by myself. Volume 3 Issue 2 Documentation/Citation—Why? October 2007 October Meeting  Thursday, October 4th 7:00 p.m. 12th & Connection—  Church of Jesus Christ of  Latter Day Saints  Membership Dues to Pauline Aldrich  Singles: $15.00  Couples: $20.00 Fraud & Its Damage 2 Shelton Valley News 2 E-mails 2 Saving Your Family Treasures 3 Leaping Years 3 Stir a Child’s Interest 4 1900 4 Inside this issue: The Mason Log Mason County Genealogical Society Genealogy: That branch of history which involves the determina- tion of family relation- ships. This is not done by copying but rather by research. Research: An investi- gation aimed at the dis- covery and the inter- pretation of facts and also the revision of ac- cepted theories in light of new facts. Researcher’s Guide to Ameri- can Genealogy, 3rd edition, Greenwood, Val D., page 3 DEFINITIONS , Mason County Genealogical Society,Mason Logs,Mason Logs,2007,V3 I2 MCGS Oct 2007Newsletter.pdf,October+2007.pdf Page 1, October+2007.pdf Page 1