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Documentation
This page won't be very long. Although
documentation of your research sources can be important, it's not really that
important. Well, there are people who will tell you that it's something you just
have to do, but this isn't the case. There are a two main reasons to document
your every move and I'll discuss them below. |
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Organizations |
The main reason some people insist on documenting every bit of data they
find is because this is a requirement for being accepted into membership
status in some organizations - Daughters of the American Revolution and the
Sons of Confederate Veterans are just two. These groups won't just take you at
your word that you're the descendent of a veteran. They want a paper trail to
prove your claim. There's nothing wrong with this as it makes it harder for
people to join who don't meet the organizations criteria for membership.
So how does a person create this paper trail? It's not
always easy. As I said, I don't document everything. If you find the
information in a book, copy the pages containing the family information, the
book's title page, and publishers information page (contains the copyright
date, etc.). Obtain photocopies of all relevant birth and death certificates
as well as the service member's service records. It's not enough to have this
information for your ancestor, you must also be able to show the paper trail
(all pertinent records) from yourself back to and including that individual.
In other words, you must prove that you are indeed a descendant of that
person.
Again, I can understand people's reasoning for doing
so, but you'll find that some researchers won't accept your facts if they
can't be backed up with documentation. Don't let this bother you or make you
think you have to document everything you find. Probably 90% of my information
was related via word of mouth and so far I haven't located the proper official
records or published works that may prove the accuracy of the information. Go
with what you can get and document as you go only if you choose. The exception
to this non-documentation is explained below. |
| Publishing your work |
If you plan on publishing any of your collected
research, then at least some documentation is required. The basic information
such as names, dates, occupations, and memberships can't be copyrighted. All
of this information is considered to be part of the public domain. What is
copyrighted is any material (ex: biographical information) if you copy it
straight out of a book - this is plagiarism if you publish it as your own
work. In order to avoid any unwanted law suits, it's best to take a few notes
and then transcribe the notes into your own words. Even with this being done,
it's courteous to at least acknowledge that the basic information came from
the other person's published work. This documentation is easy to do - add the
person's name, the source title, and the publishing information at the end of
the section where the information appears. For examples of the proper format
for documenting the references, look through several biographies or reference
books and you'll quickly pick up on the proper format. There are also many
good books available that will teach you about the copyright laws, the way
information can be used, and the appropriate ways of documenting your
information.
***Note: Publishing your work includes any information you chose to place on
your personal website. You can't just copy and paste someone else's work at
your site and take credit for it without permission of the original owner. |
Copyright © 2004-2005 Sheila Rae Myers
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