The Reeves Project Learning Series
The First Steps pages for new TRP Community Members were designed to be worked through in sequence. This next group of “Moving Along” pages introduce some of the more advanced topics and ways of working within TRP. They are generally free standing, with larger topic split over a couple of linked pages.
Moving Along with .. Common Person Page Source Citations
This page provides information relating to citing sources regularly found on a Person Page; key life events (BMD) and census returns. A second page Moving Along - Part 13 deals with handling sources less frequently encountered on a Person Page.The guidance for completing the Sources section of a Person Page is found on page FAQ Person Page Content. It indicates
The final part, the Sources is also free format. This section should include information about all sources cited in the previousWhilst it remains true that the section is indeed free format, experience gained since the Sources section was added back in November 2011 indicates that having a personal skeleton for the sources likely to be cited helps avoid unintentional omission of one or more sources. This page offers some optional skeletons for the Sources section and indicates ways they may be used and adapted.twosections. The information should be sufficient such that another researcher can clearly identify the documents used and (where they aren't held in private collections) consult them. It is helpful if the sources are listed in chronological sequence.
Discussing Sources
The Sources section should be limited to providing the information necessary to help another researcher access the same information. Any discussion relating to the merits of a source (for example that Family Bible which was printed in 1950, but has details of family births and marriages between 1700 and 1850 written in green biro) should be added as a paragraph in the Research Notes section.Summary -v- Sources Section
In the Summary section we expect to see a source for the birth and death dates offered. However, there are conflicting pressures on the Summary section's sources - the need to keep the information brief (less than a single line and preferably close to half a line) and the need to provide a full source citation as described above. This conflict is often best resolved by providing a brief description of the source(s) eg "Birth: birth certificate and census" in the Summary section and provide a full source citation as a similarly label source at the top of the Sources section eg "Birth: Birth Certificate copy held by MRB see also FreeBMD 1837, September quarter, Southampton Registration District".Source Citation Sequence
Key life events (BMD) are common, irrespective of era and location and it is recommended that clearly labelled sources for each of Birth, Baptism, Marriage, Death & Burial are used as the first entries in the Sources section. A simple set of skeleton BMD labels is offered below.Census events vary by location, but are often best arranged sequentially following the BMD sources, separated from the key life events (BMD) by a single blank link.
Other sources are likely to vary widely between individuals, even from the same era and location. They should be listed chronologically after both the key life events and census events and are discussed further in Moving Along - Part 13".
Labeling Common Sources
Adopting the style shown in one of the skeletons below makes very clear the source for each of the key life events and census events. With these labels for common sources, the use of additional numbering or within page hyper-linking is generally not necessary or desirable.Sources Skeleton - BMD Only
This basic skeleton provides basic key life (BMD) events only. Copy the code snippet below and paste it at the the top of the Sources section on the Person Page. The "~hs~" insets one or more "hidden spaces" to improve the layout of this group of lines. Add the detail of the source citation after the last tilda character of each line.BMD Only
Birth: ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ Baptism: ~hs~ ~hs~ Marriage1: ~hs~ Death: ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ Burial: ~hs~~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~If there are multiple sources for one or more of these events, copy the last line and insert it as a new line immediately after the appropriate event with an additional source.
If the subject was married multiple times, duplicate the Marriage1 label and increment the numeric suffix appropriately.
Sources Skeleton - Extended BMD
This skeleton details sources for additional key life (BMD) events.Extended BMD
Birth: ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ Baptism: ~hs~ ~hs~ Marriage1: ~hs~ Death: ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ Burial: ~hs~~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ Grave Marker: ~hs~ Memorial: ~hs~ Obituary: ~hs~If any of Grave Marker, Memorial or Obituary are not required, please delete the corresponding line.
Sources Skeleton - England and Wales
This skeleton for the Sources section is intended for a person born or living much of their life in the British Isles and indicates ways it may be adapted.British Isles with Census
Birth: ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ Baptism: ~hs~ ~hs~ Marriage1: ~hs~ Death: ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ Burial: ~hs~~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ 1841 Census: ~hs~ 1851 Census: ~hs~ 1861 Census: ~hs~ 1871 Census: ~hs~ 1881 Census: ~hs~ 1891 Census: ~hs~ 1901 Census: ~hs~ 1911 Census: ~hs~ 1921 Census: ~hs~Copy and paste the above lines into the Sources section. If the individual was born after a census date, then the line(s) for those earlier dates should be deleted. Likewise, if the individual is known to have died prior to a census, the later line(s) should also be deleted. If an individual was alive (or suspected to be alive) at the time of a census, but has yet to be identified on that census, the source line may retained as a reminder of incomplete data and a future avenue to pursue. Note also the guidance for the BMD Only skeleton above.
Sources Skeleton - USA
This skeleton for the Sources section is intended for a person born or living much of their life in the United States of America and indicates ways it may be adapted.United States of America with Census
Birth: ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ Baptism: ~hs~ ~hs~ Marriage1: ~hs~ Death: ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ Burial: ~hs~~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ ~hs~ 1790 Census: ~hs~ 1800 Census: ~hs~ 1810 Census: ~hs~ 1820 Census: ~hs~ 1830 Census: ~hs~ 1840 Census: ~hs~ 1850 Census: ~hs~ 1860 Census: ~hs~ 1870 Census: ~hs~ 1880 Census: ~hs~ 1900 Census: ~hs~ 1910 Census: ~hs~ 1920 Census: ~hs~ 1930 Census: ~hs~ 1940 Census: ~hs~ 1950 Census: ~hs~Copy and paste the above lines into the Sources section. If the individual was born after a census date, then the line(s) for those earlier dates should be deleted. Likewise, if the individual is known to have died prior to a specific census, the later line(s) should also be deleted. If an individual was alive (or suspected to be alive) at the time of a census, but has yet to be identified on that census, the source line may retained as a reminder of incomplete data and a future avenue to pursue. Note also the guidance for the BMD Only skeleton above.