I am going through some old citations in my genealogy software to correct them and I came across about 50 citations from Ancestry's England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 database. Ancestry is citing the FamilySearch database under the same name. However, when I go to Familysearch very few of the names can actually be found. I ran a general search with the same names, and the baptismal records aren't found in any other database that I could find.
So now I am not only left wondering where Ancestry got the information, but what the value of that information is and if its still worth citing (and how would I if I did). Any thoughts?
Eventide, EE would…
Eventide, EE would definitely keep that old data identifying Ancestry's source until we could provide a better source. It's our starting point to identify the material. Without it, we have nothing.
I've starting looking at…
I've starting looking at each entry to see if I can find them at FamilySearch. I have found one. And then I noticed that there is prompt to "browse the film". It appears there several volumes which are not indexed. And I am unsure how to cite this but I suspect that I need to cite the original, the microfilm and the online image - but I am completely lost. I've been looking at this for hours and I'm just going in circles.
For reference.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS65-794Y-B?mode=g&i=184
This is what I have: St. Jame's Church (Paddington, Middlesex), "Register of Baptisms in the Parish of Paddington in the county of Middlesex," p.255, Ann Johnson baptism (1833); imaged as St. James Paddington County of Middlesex Parish Registers Baptisms 1826-1836, P87/JS7, FHL microfilm 00579297; digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 May 2020)
Since I am citing the images - do I still cite the original record collection?
Thanks.
In case that last question…
In case that last question isn't clear - do I still cite the FS database "England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
Eventide, my apologies. This…
Eventide, my apologies. This query, somehow, slipped in unnoticed.
The structure that FamilySearch, Ancestry, and similar websites have created for "browsing" through their billions of records is why paths (aka waypoints) are used. Have you seen QuickLesson 25: ARKs, PALs, Paths & Waypoints (Citing Online Providers of Digital Images)?