Sourcerers' Challenge Month of March 2018

+27 votes
2.1k views

Hello, Sourcerers! If the clock has rolled around for you, and we are in the new month it is time to start sourcing! Prior month stats will be posted soon.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please “answer” here (not comment) and let me know if you will be using the tracker or if you will be listing your profiles here in your post. Either one is perfectly fine : )  

 

                 

To participate:

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. 

When you can, it's 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 can't find them among all the other stuff, they aren't helping as much as they could.

On to the monthly challenge:

You only need to answer the post once. If you opt to use the Tracker you are good to go.  If you opt to  add your sourced profiles, add a comment to your answer with the required details. If you exceed the character limit add another comment.  Please number your contributions. Obviously, the Tracker is faster and less work for everyone.  If you have a problem with the Tracker let us know by posting a comment to the thread. 

* All profiles improved must come from the Unsourced categories or be already present on WikiTree and unsourced-you cannot create new profiles and add sources just to up your tally. The hope and goal is to improve the profiles already on WikiTree that need sources. Adding sources will help merges happen, too, which will improve our tree. Showing folks what sources you're using helps newer researchers see just what's available out there for us to access. Another great source of unsourced profiles is to check out orphaned profiles.

* The tally is of profiles improved, not sources added. That said, if you can add a number of sources to a profile, all the better.

*If you attempt to add sources to a profile and cannot find any, please add a note under a == Research Notes == section giving where you tried to find records and you can sign it with the four tildes (~~~~) so the date is applied as well. Something like "Looked for John in the US Census records for 1900-1940 and couldn't find him on FamilySearch or Ancestry" would be fine. Or, "Searched google for an obituary and didn't find one." That way the next researcher knows where to start. Do not remove the Unsourced Template and will not count in your tally.

* If the only source is a link to a profile, is a profile or search results page from another genealogy website or the words "Ancestry tree," "Geni.com," "Pedigree Resource Files" from FamilySearch, and the like, the profile is considered unsourced. If you add better sources to the profile include it in your tally.

* If you find a match and can merge a profile into an already sourced profile, that counts, too. You still found a source, plus you eliminated a duplicate. Awesome!

The Monthly Challenge runs from midnight the first day of your month and ends at 11:59 the last day of the month. The Challenge Tracker results page has up the minute stats for those of you using the Challenge Tracker. Ask any questions here in the thread, otherwise, SOURCE! 

              

in The Tree House by Laura Bozzay G2G6 Pilot (830k points)
Thank you for your help.
Beverly you can check on all the things you have commented on by going to contributions under my wiki tree.  It shows you everything you have done.  Sourcing just takes time and refering to the style guide under the Help section.  For someone to check you would have to give them a specific name to look at.  There are mentors looking I have gotten feedback on things I have entered so just remember everything is fixable.
Linda, the Unsourced template gets added in a number of different ways. As Laura mentioned, some projects add it as they are doing other work; sometimes it is added automagically as the profile is created, though I see that happening less and less. Sometimes the template is still in place because the person who added the source doesn't know that they can/should remove the template when adding a source; sometimes it is still in place due to a merge which hasn't been cleaned up, even though one of the profiles had sources.

If a valid source AND the template are in place, you can remove the template and save without adding another source. It is your choice as to whether to use the tracker at that point. Technically, it can count as it does reduce the number of unsourced profiles. I don't usually count the ones that I do as I didn't really have to do any work.

Beverly, as far as I know, there's no way to count the total number of sources you have added. The tracker counts the number of profiles sourced, not number of sources added to a profile. If you want the total number of profiles that you have improved during the Sourcerers' Challenges, check the Google sheet that is linked from the Sourcerers' Project page. Grand totals are in column AW. Be aware that February's totals haven't been added yet (as of 20Mar). I took a look at a source you recently added for a 1910 Census, probably from Ancestry. It provided enough information for me to find the same image at Archive.org. That, in my mind, is a sufficient citation; in other words ... you're doing fine.
Thanks for the information Debi - I have been removing the "unsourced" category if there is a valid source on the profile. I was just curious as to how this all worked. And, yes, I suspect some forget to remove the category if they add a source.

Thanks again.
Thank you for asking me to join .If I don't do something correctly let me know

Jenny
Welcome Jenny I am sure that you will do just fine.  Just take a deep breath and dig in.

Colleen
In order for your sourced profiles to count you will need to select ANSWER instead of comment. That will add you to the tracker.
Thank you Colleen
Thank you Laura
Anon Snyder I have not see you post an ANSWER just 2 comments.  

Do not reply instead go to the top under the original post and select ANSWER.  Then just say you want to participate.  That will activate your ID with the Tracker.  

This challenge ends at 11:59 on March 31.  April starts at midnight April 1.

I will be posting a new thread on March 31 to start April.

50 Answers

+10 votes
I'm in for this month, and I'll be using the tracker.

(I'm trying to empty the Nova Scotia Unsourced category.)
by Greg Slade G2G6 Pilot (678k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
+10 votes
Happy St. Patrick's - hope a lot of Irish will get sourced this month.
by Hans Hofmann G2G6 Mach 3 (33.0k points)
Hans are you participating?
Hello Laura, yes, I will be participating ....
Great.  I thought so, just wanted to be sure!  Good Luck!
+10 votes
Can't remember if I answered. I'm in
by Katrina Whitaker G2G6 Mach 4 (40.3k points)
Yes you answered, it is on page 1.
+10 votes
I'll try to do some using the tracker. Was busy with black history month profiles last month.
by Kyla H G2G6 Mach 5 (54.4k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
+10 votes
Yes, I will be using the tracker to participate - altho not being able to take credit for sourcing my new profiles slows the "fix" count. I will mainly be working again on the Stetson family...
by Roy Lamberton G2G6 Mach 8 (81.0k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!    Everyone has the same rule about new profiles because it stops someone from uploading a gedcom and then adding sources they had for the profiles.  That would not be fair...
+10 votes
I will participate and use the tracker. Kind regards. Brigitte
by Brigitte Theuma G2G6 Mach 1 (16.2k points)
Great Thanks. Good Luck!
+10 votes
After sitting on the sidelines for the past couple of months, I'm in for March!! I'll be using the tracker.
by Living Massey G2G6 Mach 1 (16.7k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
+10 votes
I source, you source, we all source..... I will use the tracker
by E. Compton G2G6 Pilot (194k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
+10 votes
I'd like to try again, and i want to use the tracker.  I'll take profiles from the prairie provinces of Canada
by Shirlea Smith G2G6 Pilot (284k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
my goal is an average of one a day, but since i am using the tracker instead of typing my response here, i am losing track of how i am doing against my personal goal.  Is there somewhere i can view my progress on the Tracker?

Yes, If you scroll up there is a link to the Tracker Results at 

Challenge Tracker results page

Thank you!
+10 votes
I will give this challenge a go this month - I will be using the tracker (if I am able to work it out...)
by Adam Pearson G2G3 (3.3k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!

A box appears at the top of the profile after you add your sources and press save.   Select Challenges and then select Sourcerers.  Either pick a reason from the list on the right or type in your own.  Make sure your WikiID is showing in the top field.   Then press Add action and that should update the tracker.
+10 votes
Ready to go for March
by Colleen Flannery G2G6 Mach 1 (13.2k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
I did one, and tried the tracker for the first time.  I think it automatically removed the {{Unsourced}} tag.  Did it?

I found three sources, and mentioned them all through the tracker.  It seemed that the tracker will be able to tell that it was 3 sources for just one person, so it won't throw your numbers off...is that true???

I think a 4th source will be available.  If I am able to find it, should i mention it through the tracker or not?
I do not think the tracker takes off the the Unsourced category. It only counts the first time you add a source.
+10 votes
Giving this a go and using the tracker.
by Ron Norman G2G6 Mach 4 (46.2k points)
Great thanks Good Luck
+9 votes
I'm in again for this month - using the tracker.
by Linda Green G2G6 Mach 2 (22.2k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
+9 votes
I'm in again with more Scots and using the tracker
by Sheena Tait G2G6 Pilot (117k points)
Great Thanks!  Good Luck!  We will have to see if we are related.  I have some Tait in my heritage but it is way back..  Margaret Tait married to William Cheyne this is mid 1600s. Peterhead, Aberdeenshire area.
+10 votes
Hi Laura, I will add sources as time allows using the tracker.
by David Selman G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
Great Thanks.   Good Luck!
+9 votes
I am in for this month I will use th tracker
by Janet Wild G2G6 Pilot (331k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
+9 votes
1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Sexton-1079  England & Wales Birth & Marriage Index Scotland & N. Ireland Death Index
2. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gage-849 Free BMD for birth 2 marriages and death
by Christine Frost G2G6 Pilot (152k points)
edited by Christine Frost
I assume you are saying you are sourcing and would like to use the tracker?
I source whenever I come across unsourced profiles, not large numbers as my time is limited.  I haven't used the tracker but willing to do so.
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
+9 votes
Belated start, after vacationing visitors departed!
by Jim Parish G2G6 Pilot (173k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!
+9 votes
I'm going to dip my toe in the water here. I'm pretty new, but I'd like to be able to keep track of the records I'm adding sources to. I'll use the tracker.
by Jessica Burgoyne G2G2 (2.0k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!   If you have questions just let us know.
+9 votes
I would love to help.
by Leigh Mitchell G2G1 (1.7k points)
Great Thanks.  Good Luck!  Assuming you will use the tracker?

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