Citing Sources & Our Posted Genealogies
About Citing Sources and Areas where they are not cited, or turn out to be
incorrect:
I understand what you are saying, in regards to finding, and hearing others
say, about family history genealogies that turn out to be partially
incorrect, but they insist they are correct, because someone said it was
so. Or, the information cannot be taken off that site, even if it is wrong,
or whatever. Also, finding these on Family Search, family trees with no
sources cited, marriages and births posted on there in perpetuity that are
not verified as to where they got that information. And, I know for myself
certain info provided is completely incorrect, but have no way of contacting
whoever posted it.
Well, I know I have learned my own lessons about this, as I have taken up
the baton from my "dearly departed father" to carry on with our family
history research, to make it a firm habit, whether I don't feel like it or
what, to keep track of where I found each item as I go along. And, I'm
still learning. So, I know how hard this is, the aspect of being thorough,
keeping detailed records, etc. when I am looking through many, many sources
at any given time. There are times, too, when I was beginnning this, that I
just didn't know how thorough I needed to be until I had to reorder a
film or tear through the papers and books again for where the heck I found
that little information about a town or something. And, recalling when I
began, how I sent out to all my family my first family tree chart, that I
soon learned was full of incorrect information I believed was true, because
my mother told it to me! And, was I going back to tell everyone? No,
because my chart is always changing. Learning that Pioquinta Gonzalez was
not of royalty from Spain, but of humble birth in the Huichol region of
Jalisco, her own mother an Indian. And, too, Benigno Cabral was not from
Portugal, not a sea captain, but was born in Jalisco, also. That was a
valuable lesson learned. Do the research! Family stories are nice, but
researching it to prove them or disprove them is absolutely necessary. It's
all part of the journey and makes our books and memoirs we write someday
more colorful when we add them in as "stories I was told by Grandma."
So, yes, there are cheaters and crooks out there, even in this field, but I
follow a few simple rules: don't take it as fact unless there is proof to
back it up, do your own research, thoroughly, and cite your sources. But
understand this, is it ever perfect? Or, is there room for human error,
beginners just learning, and well-meaning but unprofessional family history
buffs?
This brings me to another point in regards to our posted genealogies on this
site, the ones we are asked to do to be a member in this group. Citing our
sources is not a requirement. These charts, lists, and family trees, some
presented in a very professional manner, I believed are merely to let others
in the group know what we have done so far and what our area of research
is. Also, they are to hopefully connect us with others who are researching
the same family. Does this make our information provided invalid, because
we do not cite our sources, and, even return to them to update them, change
them where we have found them to be incorrect or incomplete? Or, is
it presumably understood that these are, like I said, merely guides to our
area of research and that no one is planning on gleaning them for dates and
names to add to their own family trees?
I, for one, agree that it is imperative to keep track of and record our
sources as we go along. I can truly appreciate thoroughly researched gold
mines of family history information. But, I just wanted to point out that,
*sometimes*, it is understood that what is there may have never been
intended to be used as absolute fact, just a guide.
And, hey, I just wanted to put my two cents worth in. Or, is it more like a
quarter nowadays?
Corrine Ardoin
Still trucking here in Santa Maria, California reading the same microfilm
for five months now and I'm still not done. Anyone have Gonzalez in their
family tree?