Sourcerers' Challenge (October 2019)

+22 votes
1.5k views

Hello, Sourcerers! It is time to start sourcing! Prior month stats will be posted soon.

IMPORTANT NOTEPlease click the "answer" link (not the comment link) if this is your first month or if you can't use the Challenge Tracker. 

                 

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. 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.

On to the monthly challenge:

You only need to answer this month's post if you are new to the Sourcerers' Challenge. If you opt to use the Tracker you are good to go.  If you opt to list your sourced profiles here, add an answer with the required details. If you exceed the character limit add a comment to your answer.  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 adding a comment to the question that opened this thread. 

USING THE TRACKER

You can add sources to any profile. The tracker should only be used when the profile meets the Monthly Challenge definition of Unsourced. In other words, profiles improved must come from the Unsourced categories or be already present on WikiTree and unsourced.

After you save an edit, a green banner appears at the top of the page. In the banner is a black “button” labeled Challenge Tracker. Press that and, on the page that comes up, select Sourcerers challenge and the appropriate comment (or fill in your own if none of the canned answers fit what you did). Hit Add Action and you are finished. The Tracker tracks the number of profiles you add sources to. 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

You can improve any profile but only track those that come from the Unsourced categories or which are already present on WikiTree and unsourced. Orphaned profiles are another great place to look for unsourced profiles. The hope and goal is to improve the profiles already on WikiTree that do not have sources. Adding sources will also help merges happen which will improve our tree. Showing folks what sources you are using helps newer researchers see just what is available out there for us to access.

  • Only track improvements to profiles that were created more than a week ago.
  • Only track improvements to profiles that do not have any sources, with the following exception:  
    • If the only source is a link to a profile, a search results page from another genealogy website, the words "Ancestry tree," "Geni.com," "Pedigree Resource Files" from FamilySearch, or the like, adding a better source will be a valid update for the Sourcerers' Challenge. If you add better sources to profiles like this, use the Challenge Tracker to include it in your tally.
  • 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 (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.
  • If you find a match and can merge a profile into an already sourced profile, that counts too. You found a source, plus you eliminated a duplicate. Awesome!

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/20191001/User.htm

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

See this thread for info on milestones https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/797329/ 

in The Tree House by Debi Hoag G2G6 Pilot (396k points)
edited by Deb Durham
Thanks Debi.  I just realized I was supposed to do this today.

I apologize!   Got my days mixed up.   Got to remember  30 days (not 31 days) in September!
No problem. I couldn’t remember which of us was going to start the thread and don’t have access to my archived email at the moment. I’m out of state at the minute, getting back just in time for the Source-a-Thon. I’ll work on the September spreadsheet after that.
The tracker is not offering the "Sourcerer's Challenge (October 2019)" option at the moment.  The only option is the Source-a-thon. Is this intentional?
It will be that way until after the event finishes on Monday. Sorry, I had no warning that it would be set that way.
The Challenge Tracker is not updating.  It still shows only the days (2?) before the Source-a-Thon.
Yes, the tracking is working, but the numeric totals aren't incrementing.  Since today's work is in the file, I suspect that all will be well once the total reporting job is restarted.
The tallyer is tallying again,

Must have "double tapped" this.  So my final count should be minus'd 1.

12.10.2019 16:35:39 Paulson-758 Added census, obituary sources
12.10.2019 16:35:40 Paulson-758 Added census, obituary sources
It's OK Bill. The tracker will show that you used it twice for the same profile but it only adds one to your count.

36 Answers

+18 votes
 
Best answer
A Sourcer's Challenge and a Source-A-Thon!  sign me up!
by Gurney Thompson G2G6 Pilot (453k points)
selected by David James
Thanks, Gurney. Good luck in both!
+17 votes
I will help!
by Michelle Enke G2G6 Pilot (424k points)
Thanks, Michelle. Have fun!
+17 votes
I’m in for October.
by Fred Adamson G2G6 Pilot (147k points)
Thank you, Fred. Good luck!
+17 votes
Sign me up please Debi
by Hilary Gadsby G2G6 Pilot (316k points)
We've got you, Hilary. Have a great time!
+17 votes
I'll be adding as much as I can.
by Alex Stronach G2G6 Pilot (365k points)
Thanks, Alex. Good luck!
+17 votes
I cannot remember if I've done one of these or not, but I am in for October 2019. Will use the tracker.
by Susan Keil G2G6 Mach 6 (67.4k points)
Thanks, Susan. Let us know if you have any questions.  Have a good time.
Yep you have the badge so you had to have done one!

Welcome back!

Oh ... I was not clear, I see ... I know I'm part of the project. I just didn't remember if I had participated in any of this project's challenges. smiley

In order to be awarded the badge you had to register on the monthly announcement thread and source at least 1 qualified profile
+15 votes
I am in for October
by Living Barnett G2G6 Pilot (502k points)
Thanks, Linda.  Good luck!
+16 votes
Hi Debi,

Please sign me up for the October Sourcers Challenge.

Thanks!

Louann
by Louann Halpin G2G6 Mach 7 (71.2k points)
We've got you, Louann.  Have a good time.
+16 votes
Time for a whole new month. I'm in!
by AM Hayes G2G6 Mach 2 (22.6k points)
Great, A.  Good luck and have a good time.
+15 votes
I am working on adding photos for my cemeteries, sign me up for the month to add more sources. Also working on adding census sources !
by Christine Preston G2G6 Mach 6 (65.2k points)
The tracker won't let me add for profile [[Wallace-12365|Martha Wallace]].

I'm going to reset my cookies first.
+14 votes
Count me in this month!
by Traci Thiessen G2G6 Pilot (295k points)
Great to have you, Traci. Good luck!
+14 votes
Hi, I'd like to participate in this month's sourcerers challenge!
by Filip Beunis G2G6 Mach 2 (28.1k points)
Thanks, Filip. Good luck!
+14 votes
I'm back from vacation and plan on doing some sourcing.
by Beverly Ahrens G2G6 Mach 8 (84.5k points)
Welcome back, Beverly. Only the Source-A-Thon tracker is working for the weekend. The others will be back on Monday.
+14 votes

Yep always sourcing! The tracker is only showing the Thon might be some confusion w/ #'s this month.frown

by Rosetta Link G2G6 Mach 2 (21.7k points)
Yep; it should be back to normal on Monday. Glad to have you with us again, Rosetta.
+14 votes
We just returned from vacation.  Is it too late for me to join the sourcerers challenge?
by Beverly Ahrens G2G6 Mach 8 (84.5k points)
Not at all, Beverly, there's just a slight delay. The Monthly Challenge will show up on the Tracker once the Source-a-Thon is over and will go all month.
+14 votes
Not sure if I am on the list for the Sourcerer's challenge, but I do a lot of sourcing and updating.
by Roy Lamberton G2G6 Mach 8 (81.0k points)
I think you are on the list, Roy. I'll check when I have access to the spreadsheet. Thanks for the sourcing you do!
Yes lots of months.  Your badge was given prior to 2019
+14 votes
I'm in again - the Source-a-thon reminded me.
by Kathryn Morse G2G6 Mach 6 (65.4k points)
Excellent. Thanks, Kathryn. Have fun.
+13 votes
I want to try For Oct. challenge.
by Teresa Davis G2G6 Mach 6 (62.7k points)
Thanks, Teresa. Good luck and let us know if you have any questions.
+14 votes
Count me in for October.

Dwyer-101
by Lisa Dwyer G2G6 Mach 5 (53.1k points)
Thanks, Dash. Good luck!
+15 votes
Hello, I just did the source-a-thon for my first time and enjoyed it. This looks fun, too. Couple questions: 1) I saw where you can't add a profile, then talley from it, but can you talley from one of your own profiles (that I previously added on wikitree, and only has  the initial source (ex: "personal knowlege" or "Finda A Grave") and is lacking? 2) Do they have to be totally unsourced? Thanks!
by Donald Howard G2G6 Mach 1 (16.6k points)

I'm glad you enjoyed the source-a-thon, Donald. 

  1. Yes, you can source profiles you manage as long as they are older and you didn't create them with the intent of using them for a Challenge later
  2. The words "personal knowledge" would count. 

FindAGrave, while very generic, would not count because there is only one kind of record in that database. It's much like having "1880 Census" on a profile. It's not helpful but it is a source.

Thanks Debi! You were the team leader, if I remember. Looking forward to the next Source-a-thon. Going to check the rules and how to join for the monthly Challenge.
Yep, you were on Cornbread Catchers with me. You joined the Sourcerers Challenge by answering the post, so you are good to go.

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