Hi Russ Worthington ....it suddenly occurred to me that while I do a good job now of citing my documents and research findings in Evidentia and FTM 2014 I don't do anything to the hard copy/ paper documents that I have acquired. That get citations added to them in the database but I haven't been putting that info on the doc itself. These documents I am referring to are like vital records I have been getting from county clerks or probate files from a circuit clerk.
What is the best way to put the citation on the physical doc itself and where do you put is? Front? Back? In ink or pencil?
Thank you.
Diane Minor
ReplyDeleteHave you considered Scanning that Document, leaving some white space, on the scanned image, to put your Citation on the scanned image AND put that scanned image with the original image?
Russ
Diane,
ReplyDeleteThere are a myriad of ways to deal with the situation you have raised. I'll describe what I have been doing for years, in case it gives you some ideas.
Most of my source documents are copies, but quite a number are originals. I never wanted to alter an original by writing on it, so this is what I came up with, and it has served me well. I have created a template in MS Word that allows me to type a file reference and a full citation as close as possible to the bottom of an 8.5 x 11 sheet in landscape mode, typing along the LONG side of the page. Then, just above the file reference, I fold the page back so the file reference and citation are on a strip that is about 0.75" x 11". Then I slip the original document into the fold I have created so the filing information wraps around, and in front of the document. The completed assembly is slipped into a protective sleeve for inclusion in binders, as I file my documents by the geographic location they were created, type, and date, as you may be able to deduce from my file naming convention.
This system does not alter the original in any way, but allows you to store it with a full citation, which I believe is your goal. An example can be found at https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1233261/Where%20are%20they/Doc%20File%20System.jpg
Thank you for the suggestions!
ReplyDelete