How to handle multiple Sources of the Same Information ?

Question from a Reader Mike:

Handling (almost) identical citations when available from multiple sources. Example: a citation was created (using a template) from a source that was originally found only on FamilySearch. Now Ancestry has the same information available, even using an identical database title (and gives a "hint" to it.) How do you recommend handling the "source" which could be argued is identical, although the channel to get to the source, and therefore the citation, is different.

My generic response is:

What am I looking at and Where did I get it from?

The purpose of a citation is to me to be able to locate that specific record again, or for some one else to find "Where did you get THAT from?"

In this case, a Census Record, It came from TWO Sources. A Database on FamilySearch.org and a Database from Ancestry.com. The Two Citations would get me back to that specific Record / Census PAGE.

If you look closely, in some cases, the image may be different, usually in the pre-1940 Census records.

To go a step further, lets say I have two families, on the SAME Page of that Census Record. There would be TWO Citations. One for first family, like the line numbers for the Household, and one for the second family or different Line Numbers.

The record on Ancestry is one source, the record on Family Search is another Source of information.

Perhaps, Mike, you might visit the EvidenceExplained website for more information.

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Copyright © 2017 by H R Worthington