G2G: Sourcerers' Challenge (June 2020)

Question

Hello, Sourcerers! It is time to start sourcing! Prior month Owl Stickers and Sourcerers Badges will be posted soon.

To participate:

• Review the Rules
• If you are new to the Sourcerers' Challenge, click the "answer" link (not the comment link) and tell us you are participating

You only need to answer this month's post if you don't already have the Sourcerers' Badge. You are welcome to add an answer to ask questions or offer encouragement.

If you have a problem with the Tracker let us know by adding a comment to the question that opened this thread. 

USING THE TRACKER

The tracker should only be used when the profile meets the Monthly Challenge definition of Unsourced (see the Rules). Add a comment to the question if you are unsure if something counts as Unsourced.

After you save an edit, a green banner appears at the top of the profile edit page with a dark “button” labeled Challenge Tracker is a link to the Tracker page. Click the link and, on the page that comes up, select Sourcerers challenge and click the appropriate hint in the right column (or fill in your own if none of the canned answers fit what you did). Click Add Action and you are finished. The Tracker tracks the number of profiles to which you have add sources. You can see the results for any monthly challenge using this link. The current month is at the bottom

http://wikitree.sdms.si/Challenges/SourcerersChallenge/default.htm

Remember, your sources need to be as full and specific as possible, so others find them useful. That means, if the source is online, you should link to it. If it is a page from a book, the page number should be included so others can easily see where you found the reference. Some books and magazines have free-space pages to help with citation formats. Find them in the Source Category.

When you can, it is great to do a bit more while adding sources, like clean up the gedcom leftovers or help the formatting from older profiles. Sources are important, but if you cannot find them among all the other stuff, they are not helping as much as they could.

The Orphaned profiles category is another great place to look for unsourced profiles. 

If you attempt to add sources to a profile and cannot find any, please add a note under a == Research Notes == section (click the link for examples and instructions on placement) giving where you tried to find records. Something like "Looked for John in the US Census records for 1900-1940 and could not find him on FamilySearch or Ancestry" would be fine. Or, "Searched google for an obituary and did not find one." That way the next researcher knows where to start. Do not remove the Unsourced Template and do not use the tracker to count in your tally.

The Monthly Challenge runs from the first of the month and ends on the last day of the month, GMT time. 

The Current Challenge Tracker Results Page has up the minute stats for those of you using the Challenge Tracker.

http://wikitree.sdms.si/Challenges/SourcerersChallenge/20200601/User.htm

Ask any questions here in the thread, otherwise, SOURCE! 

Comments

So just looking at the rules- what if the profile doesn't have the unsourced tag. What if it says (for the source) "unsourced family tree", "first hand information of (profile manager's name)" - for someone born over 150 years ago, etc., or "my local library". I often come across these or similar and sometimes the sources are easy to find on Family Search or similar. Surely these should count as "unsourced" too?

Thanks,

Judy

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The Unsourced Template does not have to be on a profile for the Sourcerers Challenge. Those types of "sources" can be counted participating in the Sourcerers Challenge.

If the "source" were to be something like "1910 Census," you could not count it. While not really a helpful source, it is considered enough.

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Thanks Debi. I was hoping this was the response. I often forget to add to the challenge anyway but figure I should be "seen" to be doing them to keep my Sourcerers badge. :-)

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Don't worry about your Sourcerers' Badge *smile* I've never known one to be removed once it has been earned. My experience with the Sourcerers is that we discover how much fun finding the sources is and we do it whether they count or not.

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Normally I am happy to have sources added to profiles in my watchlist. However, when someone adds a FamilySearch census record to one family member and then uses that same source for the entire family it annoys me since I then have to correct these mistakes.

FamilySearch has a specific source for each family member that should be used on only for that specific person. I had to change about a dozen sources that were added because it named a different family member. While I have no idea whether the these sources were part of a challenge, the person who added all the sources has a sticker in her comments section for each month this year. Every source she added to profiles in my watchlist had to be changed.

I do not think it is right to honor those taking these shortcuts (which create more work for the PMs): cutting from FamilySearch once and pasting it to the entire family. The process to post source that matches the profile is not difficult. It's so easy:

1. Find FamilySearch source(s) to be added.

2. Load the WikiTree profiles for family members on source/sources. 1st window

3. Cut FamilySearch source for one person. 2nd window

4. Cue up the next person on FamilySearch.

5. Paste the source to the correct family member's WikiTree profile and SAVE

6. Repeat steps 3 - 5 for each family member.

7. Repeat the process for the next source. By the time you finish one person the next person's source is waiting to be cut (step 3). It's a simple process that doesn't take much extra time considering a PM doesn't have to take time to correct those sources.

Remember to update for the challenge for each profile.

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Thanks Pat, this is something I have been guilty of in the past and am learning some of these things as I go, so I do appreciate your instructions. At first I thought your comment was aimed at me so had to investigate to ensure it was not.  However, I believe that if a Census source for the father is included on a child's profile (WITH NO SOURCES) then it does support the parentage of that child. It is a starting point and if it encourages the Profile Manager to improve the profile by making a source even more specific then that is useful in itself. I usually try to avoid having a source that is not applied to something specific as in the case of your Allen family which were completely unsourced.

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It's encouraging to know that some Profile Managers do take the time to notice the work the Sourcerers do. As Judy mentioned, many Sourcerers are learning as we go (myself included). Thanks for the great step-by-step instructions on how to get the detailed FamilySearch source for an individual within the household.

Most FamilySearch records which involve more than one person will have a link to the specific record for the person. While taking that extra step is really nice, having an accurate source which includes the profiled person is the goal of the Sourcerers Challenge. Presentation and profile cleanup is usually left to those who enjoy that.

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Debi,

I have many profiles I have adopted that need TLC. When sources are added to the correct person, I usually find something to improve the biography while I'm checking for accuracy of that newly added source. If it's a FamilySearch source I check for more sources. Lately I've had to make sure the Family Search profile has info for only one person. I just thought that since Source-a-thon is coming up it would be a good time for an accuracy reminder. I don't participate in the challenges anymore but I usually have more profiles to correct during these challenges.

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Thanks for adopting them, Pat. The next Thon is the Connect-a-Thon (July) so I expect lots of sourced profiles to be created. It will definitely be better if they all get the specific citations. I'm going to pass your directions along to the team I'm on.

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Judy, you're welcome.

There is a way to cut once for a census record and paste for the whole family. Use the link for the census form add the family number and/or the lines for that household. Cut once and paste for each family member. The index record is easy to locate in FamilySearch from that page showing the census form.

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Glad to help. While you are passing that along you might want to add the option I just presented to Judy.

Answer 1

Count me in for sourcing this merry month of June! I will use the challenge tracker!

Comments

Thanks, Carol. Good luck!

Answer 2

I’m in, as always.

Comments

Great. Thanks, Alex!

Answer 3

Please count me in. Thanks.

Comments

Good luck, Robin. Thanks!

Answer 4

I’m in for June.  Thanks Debi!

,

Comments

Thank You, Fred! Good luck.

Answer 5

I’m in again this month

Comments

Great to have you again, Alice. Good Luck!

Answer 6

I would like to participate again

Comments

We would love to have you participate again this month, Niek. Good luck!

Answer 7

Count me in please.

Comments

We've got you, Joan. Thanks and good luck!

Answer 8

I'm in again for June!  Thanks

Comments

Thanks, Rhonda. Good luck!

Answer 9

I'm in again! I look especially for Orphan Unsourced...and if it has no LNAB, I'm extra enthusiastic!!

Comments

Thanks, Pam, both for sourcing and for helping the find the Unknowns. Good luck this month.

Answer 10

I am in for June as well :)

Comments

Thanks, Rakelle. Good luck!

Answer 11

I'm not sure if I'm registered, but if not, I'm in.

Comments

You have the Sourcerers' Badge, Beverly, so you have registered at least one. We glad to have you this month. Have a good time and good luck!

Answer 12

I'm in again.

Comments

Thanks, Laura. Good luck

Answer 13

Happy to participate this month!

Comments

Glad to have you join us, Star. Good Luck

Answer 14

I would love to participate.

Comments

Welcome to the Sourcerers' Challenge, Lothar. I'll check the tracker in a couple of days to make sure it is working for you.

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I have verified that the Tracker is working for you. We will award your badge after stats for June are complete in early July.

Answer 15

I am in. And I thought I already had done this, for the record.

Comments

Welcome to the Sourcerers' Challenge, Todd. I've checked and don't find that you have ever registered before *smile* but we've got you now. I'll check the tracker in a couple of days to make sure it is working for you. Let us know here if you have any questions.

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Yes I have counts for him in May.  So he is good to go!

Thanks Todd for responding to my private message.

Answer 16

In again this month...

Comments

Glad to have you with us again, Dean. Good luck!

Answer 17

Happy to be here, and sourcing in Northanmptonshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire as part of the England Project.

Comments

Welcome to the Sourcerers' Challenge, Pat. I checked and the Tracker is working for you.

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I have verified that the Tracker is working for you. We will award your badge after stats for June are complete in early July.

Answer 18

I am in will try to do a few more than last month

Comments

Thanks, Janet. Good Luck!

Answer 19

I always appreciate a good source so I'll help with this!

Comments

Welcome to the Sourcerers' Challenge, Andrea. I'll check the tracker in a couple of days to make sure it is working for you.

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I have verified that the Tracker is working for you. We will award your badge after stats for June are complete in early July.

I noticed that you are using sources from Ancestry and wanted to pass along the FAQ on how to add Links to Ancestry Records. I usually add the name and date from the record so that other researchers will know more about what I found.

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Hi Debi!  Thanks so much for the feedback.  I'm trying to improve my citation skills so it's much appreciated!

Answer 20

Please count me in.

Comments

Thanks, Michael. Good to have you with us again.