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Scotland - Sourcing Help

Scotland - Sourcing Help

Scotland - Sourcing Help

Scotland - Sourcing Help

Scotland Project > Membership Team > Tartan Trail > Sourcing Help

Contents

Sources

A source is the identification of where you found information. It is critically important that you include original sources for your information, because... as they say, genealogy without sources, is mythology.[1]

Source citations aren't a transcription of a record. They provide sufficient information to find the record. For example, a census should list head of household and perhaps the person of interest in that household (if they are different) but never list the entire household.

The only text styling in a citation would be italics for a published title. Never anything in bold and nothing to create line breaks or bulleted lists. Also, despite a recent trend on Wikitree, citations never need an introductory header. Italics are added as two single quote characters marking the start and stop of the italics. Don't confuse them for double quotation characters. Don't use the "smart quotes" that word processors might use. [2]

Character NameCharacterNotes
single quote ' use one for text that needs a single quote, two together set italic, and three together for bold. Also refered to as straight single quote.
double quote " use this for quoting titles, etc. Also called straight double quote.
left and right smart single quote ‘ ’ these may look the same wth some browsers but would appear different in a word processing app. Don't use.
left and right smart double quotes “ ” these may look the same wth some browsers but would appear different in a word processing app. Don't use.

Terminology

It is important to get some terminology straightened out:

TermDefinitionExamples
SourceThe place where information was foundNational Archives, book, church records.
Original recordsOriginal records are those created at, or close, to an event.Birth/Marriage/Death certificate, court record, census. An image of an original record is treated the same as the original record.
Derivative recordsDerivative records are those that were created from original records.Transcript, index, some online trees.
Authored WorksWritten works that may consist of a mix of record types as well as the author's conclusions based on those records.Books, reports, newspaper articles.
Primary SourceThis is an evaluation of the reliability and is information in a record that was created at the time of an event.Birth/baptism record, Death part of death record. Note that sources aren't really primary, the information is. This term is often used interchangeably with original source but there is a difference.
Secondary SourceThis is an evaluation of the reliability and is information in a record that wasn't the primary purpose for the record.Birth or marriage information in a death record. While the term uses source, it is really an evaluation of the reliability of the information in a record.
CitationA statement that identifies where a record can be found and what type of record it is.See examples below.

Sources are required on WikiTree. It's part of our Honor Code. We've outlined what you'll need to know, specific to Scotland records and sources.

How to Add Sources to a Profile

There are two acceptable ways to show your sources:

In a List - This is a simple way to provide source for the information on a profile. When in Edit mode, you'll see a section that looks like this:

== Sources ==
<references />

Add your source, using the * (asterisk) to create a list.

* Scottish Census Returns - 1911" database, National Records of Scotland, [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] (accessed 29 May 2024), Ella W. McMillan, female, age at census 2, Greenock West, Renfrew; citing Reference Number: 564/2 25/ 7.

Embed your source as a reference (sometimes called footnotes) - These are what many WikiTreer's mean when they talk about reference citations.

For example: John Doe was born in 1974.

At the end of the statement of fact, you would add a citation using reference tags, like this:

William Walker was born in 1808.<ref>Govan Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Births and Baptisms" database, National Records of Scotland, ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : accessed 29 May 2024), William Walker birth or baptism 23 Jan 1808, son of Hugh Walker and Ann Young, citing Ref 20 / 211.</ref>

Note:
  • You can also use the button on the edit toolbar to automatically create the <ref>...</ref> tags: cite-source.png
  • For the Tartan Trail and Scotland Project Managed Profiles, embedded citations are expected to be used.

Citation Styles

WikiTree generally follows the Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) and, more specifically, Evidence Explained, by Elizabeth Shown Mills, however, the important thing is ensuring your sources are cited.[3] [4] This is mentioned on the Wikitree Help:Sources page. There may be some variation from the book where more detail helps clarify the source. Citations are more an art form than a science and the critical aspect is to make them consistent and have all the required information.

Dates in a source citation must be in DD MMM YYYYY style. Numeric styles can lead to confusion. While the USA uses MM/DD/YYYY for numeric dates, Scotland uses DD/MM/YYYY. For example, 12/1/1717 would be "1 Dec 1717" in USA style, but in Scotland it would be read as "12 Jan 1717". The month can be either the three letter form or written out completely.

The Scotland Project strongly recommends using the WikiTree recommended style or an equivalent.

The Five Questions

A good source citation will enable others to judge the accuracy of the information found on the profile, and will let them independently verify the information by finding the source themselves. Such sources will answer the following five questions:

  1. Who - who caused the record to be created
  2. What - identifies the record or record set
  3. When - when the record was created
  4. Wherein - where in the record set the data was found
  5. Whereat - at which repository is the record set found

The syntax of Evidence Explained (or Chicago Manual of Style) allows a researcher to look at the citation and determine a lot of information about the source. Citations typically are constructed in the order of the five questions.

TermExpanded Definition
Who This can be an author, a government, a church, etc. It wouldn't be the government clerk since they are creating records on behalf of the government.
What A title of an authored work, name of a record set.
When The date the record was created. For a book that would be the copyright date or publish date if no copyright. For a baptismal record it would be the date of the baptism.
Wherein This is how to find the record within the source. For a book it would be the page or volume and page if a multivolume set. For a newspaper, the page and column number(s) need to be included. A page is indicated by "p. <number>" or "pps. <number>–<number>". A volume is indicated by "vol. <identifier>". A special case is when there is both a volume and page information is to just use "<vol>:<page>" where page can also be a page range. Other information that is necessary to find the specific record should be provided when appropriate.
Whereat This is where to find the source. This is the archive if that is were the records are kept. Some records don't really need this. A widely available book doesn't need a library mentioned. A link to an online version would be a convenience for the reader. Sometimes the whereat is answered by the who or what.


Citation Content

  • For newspapers and magazine articles ensure you include the title of the article, as well as the title of the publication. Naming the publisher is only necessary if the issue might be difficult to locate. It isn't needed for a newspaper and location can be left out if it is part of the name of the newspaper. If it is a rare book or periodical, you could include where it can be found. Page and column number should also be provided with newspapers. Publication date is always necessary.
  • For online material and databases, ensure you include the full URL for the page. You can create a link to the page by enclosing it in square brackets: [https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/birth-death-and-marriage-records/statutory-registers-of-births-deaths-and-marriages Scotland's Births, Deaths and Marriages]. It will then create a link like this: Scotland's Births, Deaths and Marriages. The URL by itself is not sufficient in a source citation. It is also important to include the date on which the information was accessed. This is useful for when a URL changes. When using the external link syntax, descriptive text must be provided.
  • Important: DO NOT link directly to a "search results" page or a record image on the ScotlandsPeople website. This website uses non-permanent links which will not work for anyone else - or for you if you try to use the link later. Using these links will also cause a database error or suggestion.
Note: Some websites, like FamilySearch and Wikipedia include source citations that you can copy-and-paste. WikiTree and the Scotland Project try, as much as possible, to use links to free access websites, rather than paid subscriptions sites like Ancestry.com. Pay attention to FamilySearch citations. They have been becoming less useful over time.
  • If the source is a unique item such as a family bible or an heirloom, consider uploading a photo of it to a free space page if there aren't any copyright problems.
  • Cemetery headstone photos should be uploaded to the individuals profile page. Please use only photos you have taken yourself, or have been given permission by the photographer, to use.
  • Second-hand information, while not considered a primary source, often provides us with important details and clues. It is still necessary to cite who told you certain information, when they said it, and where they said it. If they have a WikiTree profile, include a link to their profile page.
  • First-hand information that you remember about a person's life, should also be cited in a similar manner. Link to your own WikiTree profile, and include a Personal recollection, date citation. Just saying personal knowledge isn't useful once it gets disconnected from you in the future.

Advanced Sourcing

There are times when we need to use the same source over and over again. WikiTree has one approved way to do this. Here is how to create it so you don't have to cite the whole thing each time:

<ref name="Author's Name">Author's Name, Book Title, ([publisher, ]date published), [(web address copy available here : accessed date)]</ref>

Each time you use the source again, you can just use this: <ref name="Author's Name" />

Done this way, all subsequent references for the same source will point to the same entry at the bottom of the page. Note: the " is a quotation mark, not two apostrophes.

Note: the following examples will usually include the name="string" in the <ref> example but it is always optional.

When using an online version of anything, the accessed date needs to be used. The words "accessed" and "viewed" may be used interchangeably. It is personal preference. The following examples may use either one. For URL text, some people like to hide the URL into a title, others don't. It is useful for long URLs. For short URLs it doesn't really make a difference. The examples might have it either way.

Example Citations Specific to Scotland

The results of these examples can be found under the Sources heading at the bottom of the page. When you copy/paste a citation, you just need to place the citation inside the <ref> ... </ref> tags. This section is not intended to be a reference on how to write a biography and just provides examples of how to do source citations. Do keep in mind that the following examples are intended to be descriptive rather than prescriptive but shows the ideal. It may be necessary to adjust to different circumstances.

While extensive, the following examples are representative and by no means an exhaustive list. Think of them as guides

Book source

Books are important since so much information is obtained from books. The citation structure is essentially the same whether in print form or a digitized copy. Many websites with online books don't provide all the information necessary for a complete citation. It may be necessary to find the title page of the online book in order to get the exact title, author, and copyright/publishing information. With books, the page or page range used is required and, if a volume in a multivolume set, must also be provded. This is needed due to page and volume numbers for the information are frequently different between ediitions.

Print Book

Charles Allan was a merchant and Provost of Arbroath.<ref>Gordon MacGregor, ''The Red Book of Scotland'', "Allan of Lochlands," vol. 1, p. 120, (MacGregor : Glasgow, 2022), citing Charles Allan of Lochland.</ref>[5]

Online Copy

Note that a book found online is still cited first as a book then the online access shown as a convenience.
He assisted his uncle, the Earl of Morton, when the latter was forced to resign in 1578. <ref>James Balfour Paul, ''The Scots Peerage; Founded on Wood’s Edition of Sir Robert Douglas’s Peerage of Scotland; Containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of That Kingdom'', (Edinburgh : D. Douglas, 1904), Vol. 1, p. 195; Internet Archive, ([https://archive.org/details/scotspeeragefoun01paul/page/195/mode/1up Available on Archive.org] : viewed 25 July 2024), citing the Earl of Morton.</ref>[6]
The above example with the Red Book of Scotland as found on Ancestry:
Charles Allan was a merchant and Provost of Arbroath.<ref>Gordon MacGregor, ''The Red Book of Scotland'', "Allan of Lochlands," vol. 1, p. 120, (MacGregor : Glasgow, 2022), citing Charles Allan of Lochland; “Scotland, Red Books of Scotland, 1600-1939,” database with images, ([https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/724:62525 Red Book of Scotland] : viewed 26 July 2024)/ref>[7]

FamilySearch

Evidence Explained style

Example: Angus MacKay was born in 1793 and christened 31 Mar 1793 in Dornoch, Sutherland.<ref>"Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X18R-9F9 : 12 February 2020), Angus Mackay, 1793.</ref>[8]
If you need to use the same source more than once on the profile, you can do it this way:
Example: Angus MacKay was born in 1793 and christened 31 Mar 1793 in Dornoch, Sutherland.<ref name="Birth Record">"Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X18R-9F9 : 12 February 2020), Angus Mackay, 1793, Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland.</ref>[9] He was a son of Angus Mackay and Elizabeth Ross<ref name="Birth Record" />[9]
FamilySearch also provides a copy/paste citation. Many times it is a good citation but sometimes it has problems. If it appears complete, it may be used. Examine it carefully and determine whether it answers the five questions.
If you are comfortable with Wikitree, consider using the FamilySearch Templates described below to improve link stability. Use of this template is preferred.

FreeCen

FreeCen (freecen.org.uk) is a free index to some Scottish census records.
Angus Mackay was living in the parish of Reay, in Caithness in 1841.<ref>1841 Scotland Census, Caithness County, district of Reay, enumeration district 9, civil parish Reay, p. 1, piece 40, Alexander Gunn, head, citing Angus MacKay, age 45, agricultural labourer, FreeCen, database and transcription ([https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59028815e9379091b1533b24 FreeCen page] : viewed 28 July 2024).</ref>[10]
If you need to use the same source more than once on the profile, you can do it this way:
Angus Mackay was living in the parish of Reay, in Caithness in 1841.<ref name="1841 Census">1841 Scotland Census, Caithness County, district of Reay, enumeration district 9, civil parish Reay, p. 1, piece 40, Alexander Gunn, head, citing Angus MacKay, age 45, agricultural labourer, FreeCen, database and transcription ([https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59028815e9379091b1533b24 FreeCen page] : viewed 28 July 2024).</ref>[11] It appears that a son, Angus, was also in the household.<ref name="1841 Census"/>[11]
FreeCen also has a citation generator, so you can copy/paste the citation for each record although it isn't quite complete. Use the Evidence Explained version of the site generated citation. This isn't the preferred form but has been deemed acceptable.
Angus Mackay was living in the parish of Reay, in Caithness in 1841.<ref>Free UK Genealogy "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database", FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59028815e9379091b1533b24 : accessed 29 Jul 2024) [data about Angus MACKAY in household of Alexander GUNN]; citing Piece: 40 Place: Reay Enumeration District: 9 Civil Parish: Reay Ecclesiastical Parish: - Folio: 0 Page: 1 Schedule: Address: Lambsdale.</ref>[12]

ScotlandsPeople

For further information on record types, please see ScotlandsPeople - Record Guides A-Z. The ScotlandsPeople index is preferred over the FamilySearch record or one behind a paywall. If FamilySearch provides both birth and baptismal dates, cite that and the ScotlandsPeople records.
Note that there is now a parish number added to the citation. This provides more information when there are more than one parish with the same name. It is also useful for determining other information about the parish.

Old Parish Registers (Church of Scotland)

Birth or Baptism Entry
Birth or baptism of William Walker, son of Hugh Walker and Ann Young, on 23 Jan 1808.<ref name="OPR William 1">Govan Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Births and Baptisms," database, National Records of Scotland ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : accessed 29 May 2024), William Walker birth or baptism 23 Jan 1808, son of Hugh Walker and Ann Young; citing Ref 20 / 211, parish 646.</ref>[13]
If the image was examined:
Birth or baptism of William Walker, son of Hugh Walker and Ann Young, on 23 Jan 1808.<ref name="OPR William 2">Govan Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Births and Baptisms," database with images, National Records of Scotland ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : image accessed 29 May 2024), William Walker birth 23 Jan 1808, son of Hugh Walker and Ann Young; citing Ref 20 / 211, parish 646.</ref> [14]
Marriage or Banns Entry
Marriage of James Bell and Elizabeth Arrott on 30 April 1719 in the parish of Montrose, Angus<ref name="OPR Marriage 1">Montrose Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Banns and Marriages," database, National Records of Scotland ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : accessed 29 May 2024), marriage or banns for James Bell and Elizabeth Arrott 30 Apr 1719; citing Ref No: 60 / 92, parish 312.</ref>[15]
If the image was examined:
Marriage of James Bell and Elizabeth Arrott on 30 April 1719 in the parish of Montrose, Angus:<ref name="OPR Marriage 2">Montrose Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Banns and Marriages," database with images, National Records of Scotland ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : image accessed 29 May 2024), marriage of James Bell and Elizabeth Arrott 30 Apr 1719; citing Ref No: 60 / 92, parish 312.</ref>[16]
Death or burial Entry
Death or burial of John Burns on 3 March 1839 in the parish of Glasgow.<ref name="OPR Death 2">Glasgow Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Death and Burials," database, National Records of Scotland ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : accessed 29 May 2024), death of John Burns, 3 March 1839; citing Ref No: 550 / 160, parish 644 / 1.</ref>[17]
If the image was examined:
Death or burial of John Burns on 3 March 1839 in the parish of Glasgow.<ref name="OPR Death 3">Glasgow Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Death and Burials," database with images, National Records of Scotland ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : image accessed 29 May 2024), death of John Burns, 3 March 1839; citing Ref No: 550 / 160, parish 644 / 1.</ref>[18]

Other Church Records

John Rutherford, son of George Rutherford and Isabella Waldie, was born 28 August 1848 and baptized 20 November 1830 in Parish/Congregation Hawick Free.<ref>"Church Registers - Other Church Registers Baptisms" database, National Records of Scotland, ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : accessed 29 May 2024), John Rutherford, birth 28 August 1848, baptism 20 November 1850, son of George Rutherford and Isabella Waldie, Parish/Congregation Hawick Free.</ref>[19]

Catholic Registers

William McAtasny was born to William McAtasny and Margaret McIlveny on 31 December 1867 and baptised at St John's Parish, Glasgow, on 1 April 1868.<ref name="birth 1">St John's, Port Glasgow, "Catholic Registers Births and Baptisms" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 21 Feb 2021), William McAtasny, birth 31 Dec 1867 and baptism 1 Apr 1868, son of William McAtasny and Margaret McIlveny.</ref>[20]
Michael McBride and Mary McSloy were married on or after 21 July 1862 in St John's Parish, Glasgow.<ref name="marriage 1">St John's, Port Glasgow, "Catholic Registers Banns and Marriages " database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 29 May 2024), marriage or banns for Michael McBride and Mary McSloy, 21 Jul 1862, citing reference number: MP 9 1 4 1 69.</ref>[21]

Statutory Registers

James Menzies Wood was born in 1872 and registered in Blythswood, Glasgow. His mother's surname was Wright.<ref name="births">Scotland, "Statutory Registers - Births" database, National Records of Scotland, ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : accessed 29 May 2024), James Menzies Wood, mother's MS Wright, M, 1872, Blythswood; citing Reference Number: 644 / 6 / 92.</ref>[22]
Euphemia Lamont and John McBride were registered as married in 1856 in Greenock Old or West, Renfrewshire<ref name="marriage">Scotland, "Statutory Registers - Marriages" database, National Records of Scotland, ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : accessed 15 Nov 2023), Euphemia Lamont, and John McBride, 1856, Greenock Old or West; citing Reference Number: 564 / 3 / 44.</ref> [23]
John Stewart's death, age 47, was registered in Paisley in 1908.<ref name="death">Scotland, "Statutory Registers - Deaths" database, National Records of Scotland, ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : accessed 29 May 2024) John Stewart, age 47, Male, 1908, Paisley; citing Reference Number: 573 / 1 / 160.</ref>[24]
Joseph McSloy died 12 September 1907 in the West District of Greenock, Renfrewshire, of a fractured skull. He was 16.<ref name="corrected-death">Scotland, "Statutory Registers - Deaths," database with images, ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : viewed 28 July 2024), image, citing Joseph McSloy, 12 September 1907, corrected entry, West District, Greenock, Renfrewshire, p. 159, item 475, reference number 564/2 475</ref>[25]

Prison Records

Sixteen year old Duncan Robertson was admitted to the Edinburgh Prison in 1848.<ref name="prison-1">Edinburgh Prison, "Prison registers," ScotlandsPeople, database, (https://scotlandspeople.co.uk : accessed 4 August 2024), citing Duncan Robertson admitted to prison in 1848, age 16.</ref>[26]
if the image was examined:
Sixteen year old Duncan Robertson was admitted to the Edinburgh Prison in 1848.<ref name="prison-2">Edinburgh Prison, "Prison registers," ScotlandsPeople, database with images, (https://scotlandspeople.co.uk : image viewed 4 August 2024), citing Duncan Robertson admitted to prison in 1848, age 16.</ref>[27]


Census Records

1881 (LDS) Census
John Stewart was living at 2 Blair Street, Galston, in 1881. He was about 20 years old.<ref>"Census 1881 (LDS)" database, National Records of Scotland, [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] (accessed 29 May 2024), John Stewart, male, age at census 20, Dwelling: 2 Blair Street, Galston, birth place: Galston, Ayr; citing Source: FHL Film 0203597 GRO Ref Volume 593 Enum Dist 10 Page 2, Reference Number: 431519.</ref>[28]
Census 1841-1921
Two year old Ella was living in Greenock West, Renfrewshire in 1911.<ref>"Scottish Census Returns - 1911" database, National Records of Scotland, [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] (accessed 29 May 2024), Ella W. McMillan, female, age at census 2, Greenock West, Renfrew; citing Reference Number: 564/2 25/ 7.</ref>[29]
If the census image was examined:
Two year old Ella was living in Greenock West, Renfrewshire in 1911 with her parents, Archibald and Janet McMillan.<ref>"Scottish Census Returns - 1911" database with images, National Records of Scotland, ([https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople] : image accessed 29 May 2024), Ella W. McMillan, female, age at census 2, Greenock West, Renfrew; citing Reference Number: 564/2 25/ 7.</ref>[30]

Ancestry

Constructing citations from a record on Ancestry sometimes takes a bit of work. For example, on the record for Charles Allan of Lochlands in the Red Books of Scotland (See Charles Allan), there is a box with two tabs: Detail and Source.
Detail provides data extracted from the source. The image should be examined to make sure that the data is correct
Source provides much of the information necessary to write a proper citation but not everything. In this case, the Source Citation section is close to a proper citation but it is missing a page number and version information. Version information is usually either called out or identified by publication year. That information can only be found by examining the image for that page and going to the beginning of the images to find author, exact title, publication, and other information.
Citation for Charles Allan would be <ref>Gordon MacGregor, ''The Red Book of Scotland'', "Allan of Lochlands," vol. 1, p. 120, (MacGregor : Glasgow, 2022), citing Charles Allan of Lochland; “Scotland, Red Books of Scotland, 1600-1939,” database with images, ([https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/724:62525 Red Book of Scotland] : viewed 26 July 2024)</ref>[31]. Compare that with what is on the Source tab.
Another example is John Burns birth information. (see John Burnes).
In this case, the Source tab says that the data comes from FamilySearch. As a convenience, it would be better to use the data directly from FamilySearch
Citations follow the conventions outlined above once you have found the answers to the five questions.
If you are comfortable with Wikitree, consider using the Ancestry Templates described below to improve link stability. Use of this template is preferred.

Maps

Maps are another published source. Treat a map like a book. Find the actual publication information and identify it completely. As a convenience, an online copy can be linked to.
A map of Kilbirnie in Ayrshire might be cited as:
The village of Milton in Kilbirnie, may be found just north of Kilbirnie.<ref name="map of kilbirnie">"Ordnance Survey Maps – Six-inch 1st edition, Scotland, 1843-1882'', (Ordnance Survey Office, Southampton : 1858), Ayrshire, Sheet 7, citing Milton, Kilbirnie, right edge of map about half way up; National Library of Scotland, (https://maps.nls.uk/view/74425795 : viewed 30 July 2024). </ref>[32]
While the above are complete citations, it would also be acceptable to leave the publisher out since it is also part of the name. The publication date is required since maps do change between publish dates.

External Link Templates

Wikitree provides some templates that provide a mechanism that theoretically makes it simpler for broken links that are due to a website changing their URL structure to be fixed globally. These exist for some sites and may be used in citations in place of the long URLs.

Ancestry Templates

Provides a way for Ancestry URLs to be changed globally when necessary:

{{Ancestry Record}} creates a link to an Ancestry record page. See Template:Ancestry_Record for details.
{{Ancestry Sharing}} creates a link to an Ancestry Shared page (free to view). See Template:Ancestry_Sharing for details.
More detailed help can be found at Links to Ancestry.

FamilySearch Templates

Provides a way for FamilySearch URLs to be changed globally when necessary:

{{FamilySearch Record}} creates a link to a FamilySearch record page. See Template:FamilySearch Record for details.
{{FamilySearch Image}} creates a link to an FamilySearch image page. See Image Template:FamilySearch Image for details.
More detailed help can be found at Links to FamilySearch.

FindAGrave

See Help:Find A Grave for details.

Sources

  1. ↑ Lorine McGinnis Schulze, "Genealogy without Sources is Mythology," article on Olivetree.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Quotation mark," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quotation_mark&oldid=1234624736 (accessed July 27, 2024).
  3. ↑ Mills, Elizabeth Shown. 2024, Evidence Explained : Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, Fourth edition. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company.
  4. ↑ University of Chicago Press, 2017.,The Chicago Manual of Style., Seventeenth edition.
  5. ↑ Gordon MacGregor, The Red Book of Scotland, "Allan of Lochlands," vol. I, p. 120, (MacGregor : Glasgow, 2022), citing Charles Allan of Lochland.
  6. ↑ James Balfour Paul, The Scots Peerage; Founded on Wood’s Edition of Sir Robert Douglas’s Peerage of Scotland; Containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of That Kingdom (Edinburgh : D. Douglas, 1904), Vol. 1, p. 195; Internet Archive, (Archive.org : viewed 25 July 2024), citing the Earl of Morton.
  7. ↑ Gordon MacGregor, The Red Book of Scotland, "Allan of Lochlands," vol. 1, p. 120, (MacGregor : Glasgow, 2022), citing Charles Allan of Lochland.; “Scotland, Red Books of Scotland, 1600-1939,” database with images, (Red Book of Scotland : viewed 26 July 2024).
  8. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X18R-9F9 : 12 February 2020), Angus Mackay, 1793.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X18R-9F9 : 12 February 2020), Angus Mackay, 1793, Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland.
  10. ↑ 1841 Scotland Census, Caithness County, district of Reay, enumeration district 9, civil parish Reay, p. 1, piece 40, Alexander Gunn, head, citing Angus MacKay, age 45, agricultural labourer, FreeCen, database and transcription (FreeCen page : viewed 28 July 2024).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 1841 Scotland Census, Caithness County, district of Reay, enumeration district 9, civil parish Reay, p. 1, piece 40, Alexander Gunn, head, citing Angus MacKay, age 45, agricultural labourer, FreeCen, database and transcription (FreeCen page : viewed 28 July 2024).
  12. ↑ Free UK Genealogy "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database", FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59028815e9379091b1533b24 : accessed 29 Jul 2024) [data about Angus MACKAY in household of Alexander GUNN]; citing Piece: 40 Place: Reay Enumeration District: 9 Civil Parish: Reay Ecclesiastical Parish: - Folio: 0 Page: 1 Schedule: Address: Lambsdale.
  13. ↑ Govan Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Births and Baptisms," database, National Records of Scotland (ScotlandsPeople : accessed 29 May 2024), William Walker birth or baptism 23 Jan 1808, son of Hugh Walker and Ann Young; citing Ref 20 / 211, parish 646.
  14. ↑ Govan Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Births and Baptisms," database with images, National Records of Scotland (ScotlandsPeople : image accessed 29 May 2024), William Walker birth 23 Jan 1808, son of Hugh Walker and Ann Young; citing Ref 20 / 211, parish 646.
  15. ↑ Montrose Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Banns and Marriages," database, National Records of Scotland (ScotlandsPeople : accessed 29 May 2024), marriage or banns for James Bell and Elizabeth Arrott 30 Apr 1719; citing Ref No: 60 / 92, parish 312.
  16. ↑ Montrose Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Banns and Marriages," database, National Records of Scotland (ScotlandsPeople : image accessed 29 May 2024), marriage of James Bell and Elizabeth Arrott 30 Apr 1719; citing Ref No: 60 / 92, parish 312.
  17. ↑ Glasgow Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Death and Burials," database with images, National Records of Scotland (ScotlandsPeople : image accessed 29 May 2024), death of John Burns, 3 March 1839; citing Ref No: 550 / 160, parish 644 / 1.
  18. ↑ Glasgow Parish, Church of Scotland, "Old Parish Registers Death and Burials," database with images, National Records of Scotland (ScotlandsPeople : image accessed 29 May 2024), death of John Burns, 3 March 1839; citing Ref No: 550 / 160, parish 644 / 1.
  19. ↑ "Church Registers - Other Church Registers Baptisms" database, National Records of Scotland, (ScotlandsPeople : accessed 29 May 2024), John Rutherford, birth 28 August 1848, baptism 20 November 1850, son of George Rutherford and Isabella Waldie, Parish/Congregation Hawick Free.
  20. ↑ St John's, Port Glasgow, "Catholic Registers Births and Baptisms" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 21 Feb 2021), William McAtasny, birth 31 Dec 1867 and baptism 1 Apr 1868, son of William McAtasny and Margaret McIlveny.
  21. ↑ St John's, Port Glasgow, "Catholic Registers Banns and Marriages " database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk : accessed 29 May 2024), marriage or banns for Michael McBride and Mary McSloy, 21 Jul 1862, citing reference number: MP 9 1 4 1 69.
  22. ↑ Scotland, "Statutory Registers - Births" database, National Records of Scotland, (ScotlandsPeople : accessed 29 May 2024), James Menzies Wood, mother's MS Wright, M, 1872, Blythswood; citing Reference Number: 644 / 6 / 92.
  23. ↑ Scotland, "Statutory Registers - Marriages" database, National Records of Scotland, (ScotlandsPeople :accessed 15 Nov 2023), Euphemia Lamont, and John McBride, 1856, Greenock Old or West; citing Reference Number: 564 / 3 / 44.
  24. ↑ "Statutory Registers - Deaths" database, National Records of Scotland, (ScotlandsPeople : accessed 29 May 2024) John Stewart, age 47, Male, 1908, Paisley; citing Reference Number: 573 / 1 / 160.
  25. ↑ Scotland, "Statutory Registers - Deaths," database with images, (ScotlandsPeople : viewed 28 July 2024), image, citing Joseph McSloy, 12 September 1907, corrected entry, West District, Greenock, Renfrewshire, p. 159, item 475, reference number 564/2 475
  26. ↑ Edinburgh Prison, "Prison registers," ScotlandsPeople, database, (https://scotlandspeople.co.uk : accessed 4 August 2024), citing Duncan Robertson admitted to prison in 1848, age 16.
  27. ↑ Edinburgh Prison, "Prison registers," ScotlandsPeople, database with images, (https://scotlandspeople.co.uk : image viewed 4 August 2024), citing Duncan Robertson admitted to prison in 1848, age 16.
  28. ↑ "Census 1881 (LDS)" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (accessed 29 May 2024), John Stewart, male, age at census 20, Dwelling: 2 Blair Street, Galston, birth place: Galston, Ayr; citing Source: FHL Film 0203597 GRO Ref Volume 593 Enum Dist 10 Page 2, Reference Number: 431519.
  29. ↑ "Scottish Census Returns - 1911" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (accessed 29 May 2024), Ella W. McMillan, female, age at census 2, Greenock West, Renfrew; citing Reference Number: 564/2 25/ 7.
  30. ↑ "Scottish Census Returns - 1911" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (accessed 29 May 2024), Ella W. McMillan, female, age at census 2, Greenock West, Renfrew; citing Reference Number: 564/2 25/ 7.
  31. ↑ Gordon MacGregor, The Red Book of Scotland, "Allan of Lochlands," vol. 1, p. 120, (MacGregor : Glasgow, 2022), citing Charles Allan of Lochland; “Scotland, Red Books of Scotland, 1600-1939,” database with images, (Red Book of Scotland : viewed 26 July 2024)
  32. ↑ Ordnance Survey Maps – Six-inch 1st edition, Scotland, 1843-1882, (Ordnance Survey Office, Southampton : 1858), Ayrshire, Sheet 7, citing Milton, Kilbirnie, right edge of map about half way up; National Library of Scotland, (https://maps.nls.uk/view/74425795 : viewed 30 July 2024).

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Comments on Scotland - Sourcing Help: 9


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Bruce Laidlaw
The Freecen citation has a flaw, in that it omits the district and the civil parish, one of which is necessary. Here's an example:

"Scottish General Register Office: 1851 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5902666fe9379091b1c8ee93 : viewed 17 Jan 2023), Robert ROBB in household of James KIRTON, Denmore, Auchnagatt, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; from 1851 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives /225, Folio 174, Page 11, Schedule 42, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

The citation gives only the "House or Street Name" and the county, "Aberdeenshire". To be correct, it should also include "New Deer" before "Aberdeenshire". I've emailed the Freecen people about this, but nothing has happened (they are all volunteers).

Census/County/District/Civil Parish/Ecclesiastical Parish/Piece/Enumeration District/Folio/Page/Schedule/House Number/House or Street Name
1851/Aberdeenshire (ABD)/New Deer/New Deer/Savoch/225/9/174/11/42/-/ Denmore, Auchnagatt

posted by Bruce Laidlaw
edited by Bruce Laidlaw

Bobbie (Madison) Hall
Using the citation generator on this example, selecting the "WikiTree" format button (which I wouldn't use, but that's a personal choice) I get:

"Scottish General Register Office: 1851 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5902666fe9379091b1c8ee8b : viewed 18 Jan 2023), James KIRTON, Denmore, Auchnagatt, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; from 1851 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives /225, Folio 174, Page 11, Schedule 42, Archives, Kew, Surrey.

Using the "Evidence Explained" button it gives:

Free UK Genealogy "Scottish General Register Office: 1851 Census Returns database", FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5902666fe9379091b1c8ee8b : accessed 18 Jan 2023) [data about James KIRTON]; citing Piece: 225 Place: New Deer Enumeration District: 9 Civil Parish: New Deer Ecclesiastical Parish: Savoch Folio: 174 Page: 11 Schedule: 42 Address: Denmore, Auchnagatt.

Are you getting different results? If so, which citation generation button are you selecting?

posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
edited by Bobbie (Madison) Hall

Bobbie (Madison) Hall
If you're refering to the first example, the "WikiTree" example, I would agree that it is lacking. Instead, I use the Evidence Explained format. The critical information, the Parish number (225), Enumeration District (9) and page number and/or schedule #, would allow for another researcher to locate the record. I personally prefer that the full information provided by the EE citation.

posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
edited by Bobbie (Madison) Hall

Bruce Laidlaw
Thank you, Bobbie. Yes, I see that the Evidence Explained button is better. I'll use that in future.

posted by Bruce Laidlaw

Jamie Karagianis MD
Thanks for the examples. My problem is with parentheses and access dates. The examples given sometimes show the access date inside the parentheses that also includes the web link, e.g. reference 3, and sometimes just the access date is in parentheses, e.g. reference 5. References 6 and 9 don't have access dates. Could you clarify, or does the location of the access date not matter as long as it's somewhere? Thanks.

posted by Jamie Karagianis MD

Bobbie (Madison) Hall
Hi Jamie,

Some sites such as FreeCen and FamilySearch provide their own citation format. When they do, feel free to use those pre-formatted citations. Examples 7 & 8 are our suggested formats for ScotlandsPeople, but if you include all the critical finding information, in a logical format, no one is likely to complain. Example 6 was from a photocopy taken of microfilm in my own possession, not an online record, so no "access date." Example 9 is a book, which here is linked to a scanned copy at Archive.org, but could just as easily be a hardcopy in one's own library. Usually, if it's the same printing date, barring the rare reprint, they'd probably be the identical. You could certainly add an access date, but that might be overkill.

Bottom line, IMHO, is that source citation is an art, not a science. Include all critical information so the next person can find the source. If it's available online, link to it on a free site when possible, and supply an access date in cases where the data might change. When not available online, try to provide as much context, or transcription, as is needed to convince your reader that a given piece of data is correct.

If you'd like to delve deeply into source citation and analysis, I suggest you take a look at Elizabeth Shown Mills' Evidence Explained. (Link for educational purposes only, not to sell you.) She also has a blog that's interesting to read if you want to read further.

Cheers, Bobbie

posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall

Jasmine Holmes
This is exactly what I needed! Perfect, relevant examples that I can totally "copy"...off now to fix ALL the sourcing on the profiles I manage!

posted by Jasmine Holmes

Suzy Cairns
I was having troubles with citations and a very kind user linked this page to me in the G2G forum I found it very very helpful thank you for creating this. I sometimes find some of the help pages a little too technical I really liked how this was laid out and the examples for different record types was very good.

Going to bookmark this page to make it easy to refer back to.

Thanks so much

posted by Suzy Cairns

Bobbie (Madison) Hall
Happy to know it's helpful! I'm always happiest when I see examples that I can mimic, or well defined explanations. This page was developed to help our hikers on the Tartan Trail. If you have other examples that you would find helpful (specific to Scotland), let us know and we can add to it.

posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
edited by Bobbie (Madison) Hall

Categories: Scotland Project Managed FSPs