Elizabeth Shown Mills is well known in genealogy circles for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is her excellent book, Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian. This book is the definitive guide about how to cite sources in any genealogy work. I wrote a review of this book when it first appeared ten years ago, and I was very impressed with it. I have used it often ever since.
Almost two years ago, Elizabeth produced a condensed QuickSheet that is equally valuable. It consists of four laminated pages. It focuses on online sources, a subject that has grown in importance since her book "Evidence!" was published. A lot of information is crammed into these four pages. A revised edition of the QuickSheet is now available.
QuickSheet: Citing Online Historical Resources provides a template for citing historical sources on the Internet. It also lays down rules to help you judge the reliability of these sources. The QuickSheet contains a series of sample citations, showing the correct way to identify online sources such as databases, census images, and digital books and articles.
The QuickSheet is based on the premise that online sources are publications that have the same characteristics as printed publications. It provides rules and models for common record types such as passenger lists, vital records, and newspapers. The QuickSheet shows you how to cite the author/creator/owner of a website, title of the website, place (URL), date posted, and so forth. The QuickSheet doesn't replace the earlier Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian. It is much more of a supplement to the earlier book.
Best of all, the QuickSheet sells for a modest price: $5.95 plus shipping. It is available directly from Genealogical Publishing Corporation at http://tinyurl.com/2ebfl3.
This tiny QuickSheet is a "must have" for all genealogists. I kept the original version next to my computer for nearly two years, and I referred to it often. I have now replaced the previous version with the revised edition and expect to use the new one often in the future.
You can also read my review of the earlier Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian in the archives of this newsletter at http://www.eogn.com/archives/news9737.htm.
