How to cite a digital preservation copy?

I got stuck with the following citation. It's a civil registration record from Voorschoten, however, the original records (held by the Regionaal Archief Leiden) cannot be looked at, they are not even in the catalog. This has been done to preserve the original records, because they were getting handled too much. There's an index on the site of the Regionaal Archief Leiden, with links to the specific digital images. I know how to cite the original record, but can't figure out how to add the fact that I looked at a digital image on the site, found through the index.

This citation cites the original source:

1. Leiden, Zuid-Holland, "Burgerlijke Stand Geboorteregister" [Civil Registration Birth Register], 1878, no. 574, "Wilhelmus Johannes Bonifacius" son of Willem Mulder and his wife Anna Christina Fijbel; Regionaal Archief Leiden, Leiden, Zuid-Holland.

I found this record by looking for Wilhelmus Johannes Bonifacius Mulder in the search engine of the site of the Regionaal Archief Leiden. The digital image, once opened, has a permalink: http://www.archiefleiden.nl/home/collecties/personen/zoek-op-personen/weergave/register/layout/blader/id/0763e358-de3e-e83d-cee9-3d97583b92bd?image=586c7145-d6bb-ef39-cfb2-f1a3c21e37b2

So, I was thinking, maybe just say it's a digital image and giving the link to that? Or do I need to cite the index as well? (If so, how do I put that in?)

1. Leiden, Zuid-Holland, "Burgerlijke Stand Geboorteregister" [Civil Registration Birth Register], 1878, no. 574, "Wilhelmus Johannes Bonifacius" son of Willem Mulder and his wife Anna Christina Fijbel; Regionaal Archief Leiden, Leiden, Zuid-Holland; digital image (
http://www.archiefleiden.nl/home/collecties/personen/zoek-op-personen/weergave/register/layout/blader/id/0763e358-de3e-e83d-cee9-3d97583b92bd?image=586c7145-d6bb-ef39-cfb2-f1a3c21e37b2 : accessed 22 December 2012).

As for subsequent citations of this source, I think I could leave out the permalink, and just say digital image, right?

 

 

Submitted byEEon Sat, 12/22/2012 - 14:02

J.M.,

You are headed in the right direction. Let's start with this principle: When we cite a digital image of an original document, found at a website, we have a two-layer citation. One layer is the original record. The other is the website  that publishes that record. Each needs to be cited as fully as possible.

You've cited the original, but your citation to the website would not be considered complete. All that appears above is just the link, with no identification of the website or the responsible party or parties.  EE 8.43 "Online Databases & Images" (p. 418) offers citation models that would work in your case--for both the full reference note and the subsequent notes.

Submitted byJ.M.on Sat, 12/22/2012 - 14:28

Since the only access-point to the digital images is the "zoek op personen" index, I've taken that page as the database and added the searchterm I used so people can find the entry. I think this is the best way.

1. Leiden, Zuid-Holland, "Burgerlijke Stand Geboorteregister" [Civil Registration Birth Register], 1878, no. 574, "Wilhelmus Johannes Bonifacius" son of Willem Mulder and his wife Anna Christina Fijbel; Regionaal Archief Leiden, Leiden, Zuid-Holland; digital image, "Zoek op personen," Regionaal Archief Leiden, Regionaal Archief Leiden Home (http://www.archiefleiden.nl/home/collecties/personen/zoek-op-personen : accessed 22 December 2012). Searchterm used: Wilhelmis Johannes Bonifacius Mulder.

 

However, I have a similar entry, only the digital image is not online - you find the entry in the index (the same as above), and can then request the digital image, for which you pay, which is then delivered into your mailbox. I think the citation would remain the same, is this correct?

Submitted byEEon Sat, 12/22/2012 - 16:04

JM,

Your revised citation seems to cover all bases. EE would also agree that the citation does not need to explain the provider's commercial process.