John,
I think I realized that I probably could make other things work, but I
also figured that if there was a template specifically designed for
the particular information and format, I'd rather use that. Also, it
usually helps to understand the thinking behind how certain options
are chosen. (for example, it was helpful for me to understand that
"state land" probably just meant the GLO office located in a
particular state rather than a state government land office) So then
rather than floundering around tweaking things and maybe using
different options each time, I'd rather understand the logic behind
the options available so that I can make the best use of the design of
the SourceWriter. I do have Evidence Explained and that helps
immensely as to seeing the general categories and understanding the
logic behind those categories. Just as someone tried to enter an
unidentified and undated newspaper into the newspaper selection rather
than in to artifacts as EE shows. You're presented with options you
don't know what to do with if you've not chosen the option that most
closely aligns with EE and by extension Legacy SourceWriter. It's
much easier in the long run to understand and then choose the option
designed for the specific purpose.
Patti
On Jun 29, 2008, at 3:42 PM, John S. Adams wrote:
I see a lot of questions to this group which indicate to me that
many users are hung up on the literal titles of the various source
templates. After experimenting with SourceWriter for a while, it
seems to me that it is quite flexible and that many templates can be
adapted for sources other than those specified in their titles.
Some examples:
1. Some time ago someone noted that while there is a template for
Birth Records index, there is none for Death Records index. I used
the Birth Records index template and just titled it "California
Death Index." The printed citation reads just fine and doesn't
reference "birth" anywhere.
2. A request was made for a way to make a Master Source for an on-
going correspondence and to cite an individual letter or e-mail in
the Detail. Since this is the way I like to source, (e.g. Master:
Smith Correspondence; Detail: e-mail to J. S. Adams dated 29 Jun
2008) I tried various approaches and found that by judicious use of
the available fields I could produce acceptable citations (although
perhaps not in strict accordance with Mills' examples) using either
the single e-mail template or the Artifact template. I think the
Letters template could also work.
3. A recent discussion concerned how to cite government employment
records. There a several templates which could probably be
adapted. I tried the School Records template and that seemed as
though it would work. Other templates that might work are Insurance
Company Records, Military Records>Pension Files, or Railroad Records.
4. Government Land Office Records. See my posting today re: Cash
Entry Files.
I think the Artifact template could be adapted for any collection of
documents, letters, photos, etc.
My point is that SourceWriter is flexible. If you experiment, you
can probably find a template that will work for that unique or
unusual source you want to cite. The title of the template usually
doesn't show up in the printed citation.
I'd like to hear others' opinions on this.
John S. Adams
Hermosa Beach, CA
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