Exhibits, Citations, Sources and Repositories

I know there are many different ways of citing one's sources and attaching exhibits, so this is my interpretation of how things go together. I am also very aware of the differing views on information about people who are still living. Below are the rules that I have laid down for my own research, and how things appear on this site.

Living People -

I had not intended to go down the road of 'ostracising' living people from the 'family'. I took the view that where information is freely available in the public domain, I was at liberty to use it here. Unfortunately, some members of the family think otherwise and I have been forced to 'exclude' certain people. I hope that no offence is taken by anyone who has also been 'excluded' in order to keep these people happy, or by anyone who is still on the site and feels they shouldn't be. Anyone wishing to be removed should contact me and I will make the appropriate 'exclusions'.

Repository -

This is obviously the building (or address) at which the original document (a 'source') can be found. This is included in the details provided under the 'List of Sources' accessed by hyperlinking from a 'Citation' (see below).

Source -

A 'source' is the original document, book, certificate, etc that contains the proof. In order to keep my number of sources to a minimum, I have used 'generic sources' where possible. This covers Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates, Census pages, and Monumental Inscriptions. Where certificates of one kind have been 'sourced' from different repositories, however, separate generic sources have been provided for each. The 'List of Sources' accessed by hyperlinking from a 'Citation', therefore, shows the generic source type and its repository. Books etc obviously remain as single sources.

Citation -

A 'citation', in my book, is the reference someone else can use to find the relevant information within a 'source'. The citations (at the foot of a 'person page') therefore show the reference numbers etc of the documents quoted. By clicking on the [S] link before a citation, the 'List of Sources' can be accessed to find where the document resides. For information on what the numbers mean, please see my conventions page.

Exhibit -

My interpretation of 'exhibit' is something which can be displayed to prove something actually existed or took place. These will usually take the form of documents or photographs. I have generally attached photographs to either the 'Event' tags in TMG to which they refer, or directly to the person. These are shown by (for photos) or (for textual exhibits). Where I have taken information from a Birth, Marriage or Death Certificate, or from a Census page, I have made a transcript of that information. I have attached these to the citation on CDs. They are not shown on the web-space as they often refer to people who have requested to be excluded from the family. I have also suppressed the inclusion of digitised copies of BMD certificates on the web-space (mostly due to filesize). Where I have an original or digitised copy, I have marked the transcript with a . Anyone interested in seeing originals or transcripts can contact me through the email link on the appropriate page. On CDs, clicking on in the citation list will show the transcript, and clicking in a transcript will access the photocopy.