Documentation: The Backbone of Genealogical Research
Many beginner genealogists get caught up in chasing their ancestors back in time, and fail to record where they found the information they discovered. Eventually, they realize they should have been doing this all along—perhaps after sifting through papers in search of the source of a specific piece of information. Documentation and source citations are commonly discussed in genealogical publications, and on blogs, mailing lists, and websites. However, discussions are often focused on how to properly cite sources, and many beginners may overlook the reasons why documentation is so important.
Only NGS members have access to full articles of NGS Monthly. Please log in or click here to learn more about joining the National Genealogical Society.If you have trouble logging on or accessing the articles, please contact [email protected]
About Author
Melissa Johnson
Professional genealogist specializing in New Jersey and New York City research, and genealogical writing, editing, and publishing.
Excellent reminders of the reasons WHY citations are so important. thank you.
Very good article. When I started researching my families 35 years ago, no one told me how important documentation would be down the road. I have spent many hours backtracking to find where I got certain information. I find the new generation of family researchers are not educated about this and finding info on Ancestry is all they are interested in. I preach DOCUMENTATION to all those I help in my job as Deputy Clerk of the Old Records Room at our County Clerk’s Office.