Dora: The term "rules" has been blurred here and it is not your doing, it is the mass of emails that are confusing genealogical standards with the rules of writing a direct descendant report and combining them into a common term. The websites I listed were the standards for genealogist conduct and ethics and also they have links as to what the rules for submitting articles to be published are. I would like to clarify the difference between rules of report writing and standards for conduct here and how they pertain to Legacy.
1) The set of standards set forth by APG, NGS and APG are the standards or Rules of Conduct that reputable genealogists should abide by. I cited the APG, NGS and BCG websites so that someone could see what the standards for proper research would entail and what proper sourcing of records checked would entail. Furthermore, certified genealogists (those with letters after their names like CG, or CGR) are required to abide by these standards of conduct as well as those who are members of APG. The standards are rules of conduct. No genealogy software addresses this set of standards as it is beyond the scope of any software. 2) Rules of report writing. This depends on the type of report you are writing AND the numbering system you are using. For exact information on these rules and the types of reports they are best suited to; a book such as those that Dora referenced or the BCG Standards Manual should be consulted. NGSQ, NEHGS, TAG and other societies and publications have specific formats they prefer for article writing. The NGSQ uses their own numbering system which is different than the Register numbering system preferred by NEHGS. If you are writing a genealogy for one of these publications you need to follow their numbering system and the rules for that system. NEHGS has a book dedicated on how to write using their rules for publication. Within Legacy you have different choices as to how your Descendant Narrative and Multiple Lines of Descent reports are numbered, by choosing the system you wish to use. For the Descendant Narrative Report, your numbering system choices are none, generation numbers, Henry numbers, or de Villiers numbers. For the Multiple Lines of Descent Report your options are Modified Register Style (closest to the NGSQ style but not quite) and the Register Style. (which is used by NEHGS) 3) It seems there is confusion with a direct line of descent report with vs. other types of genealogies. I've explained them here. *** In a direct line of descent you, your parents, their parents, etc., are all included. However, your siblings, your cousins, aunts and uncles, etc., are not included in a direct line of descent. It is a direct line tracing your direct ancestors, usually a bloodline. Your adoptive parents, and your adopted children, would be included in this type of report, foster children and foster parents would not be included. However, if you are using this type of genealogy as part of an application into a lineage society (DAR, SAR, DOC, SOC, Mayflower, etc.) or for consideration to be included as a member of any Native American Tribe, only direct biological bloodlines are accepted or considered. *** In a complex genealogy, or multiple lines of descent, or all inclusive genealogy, or other types of genealogies not listed above, everyone would be included, adoptive children as well as foster children. Whether to include descendents of foster children is up to the compiler of the genealogy; be aware that the numbering systems do not handle this situation well. For rules pertaining to genealogy numbering systems and what system is best to use, one of the books referenced in this thread should be consulted, there is no online set of rules for numbering genealogies or who to include. As far as Legacy reporting goes, the Multiple Lines of Descent Report only gives you 2 options (Modified Register and Register) and both of these systems are lacking in how they handle the numbering of foster children or adoptive children with no biological ties to either parent. AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON LISTING ADOPTED INDIVIDUALS: Not everyone knows they were adopted. If mentioning deceased relatives it is one thing - if dealing with the living use care and discretion as you may cause great distress to someone without meaning to. I would not want to find out I was adopted by reading an online genealogy. Linda Altman http://www.southerngenealogy.com *** Give the gift of Legacy for the holidays! Order online at http://legacyfamilytree.com/Redirect/Store-Legacy.asp or call 1-800-753-3453. *** Legacy User Group guidelines can be found at: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyfamilytree.com/ For online technical support, please visit http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
