There are many errors in Ancestry's source information: wrong page numbers, incomplete and/or inaccurate descriptions of the microfilm from which they made the images (e.g. not telling you it was an FHL microfilm, and/or giving the wrong microfilm number) etc.
Best practice, IMO, is to *cite what you use.* If I use the "Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002" database at Ancestry.com and I can determine that the image is of Jasper Co. Marriage Book C, p. 152 (stamped) from Missouri State Archives microfilm, but Ancestry does not provide a microfilm number, that is what my citation will say. It would be nice if I could travel 1500 miles and use the original source, but that is not going to happen any time soon. I would feel I was being irresponsible, inaccurate, and deceptive if I did not mention Ancestry.com (or other website/URL) in the citation. Most style guides differentiate both in content and format between an entry in a bibliography and a source citation/footnote. It will vary with the discipline, college professor, professional journal, etc. but it has not been my experience that most research papers require only a bibliography. In genealogy, at least in the US, the standard is to cite the source for each statement of fact that is not common knowledge, not lump everything together in a bibliography. So, I'm glad that Legacy now provides for both source citations/footnotes AND bibliographies. Connie --- On Mon, 9/20/10, Vivien Martin <vivien.mar...@gmail.com> wrote: Todd If your only source for a particular fact is a URL then I would not use it at all but find the real source behind the URL and use it. If you are using for eg. Ancestry as a source then if you actually have them detail the source( Ancestry does do that in Legacy if you let it) the entire source is actually there except for the specific repository. Most people I think are resourcefull enough if they wish to check your research will find a repository for a source and go and look it up themselves if it is that important to verify what you have written. Research papers only require a bibliography not anything more and that is all you are doing here. So write your source as you would a bibliography for a research paper. OR The North American and Canadian and British Genealogical societies and written papers themselves on how to use the internet as source material. Look up what they have decided is standard and go from there. cheers Vivien Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyusers.com/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergr...@legacyfamilytree.com/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
