Citation Issues

Commission in the Mississippi Militia

The document I have is one where William Simmons was appointed as a lieutenant in the 13th Regiment in the Militia of the Mississippi Territory, 20 Mar 1812. 

This document came from the Series 488: Administration Papers, 1769, 1788-1817 at the Mississippi Department of History and Archives.

Here is the document http://mdah.state.ms.us/arrec/digital_archives/series/s488/detail/9408

Passport file deposition letter

I need to write a citation for an deposition which is part of a passport application file on Ancestry.com

National Archives and Records Administration U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925

The letter was written by the notory after deposing the subject's aunt who is attesting to the subject's identity, date and place of birth, and parent's names. The deposition is then notorized.

Ancestry gives the following information about the collection.

Redundant citing of NARA publications used by Ancestry

For the full reference of census sources obtained from digital images in Ancestry or FamilySearch, I understand that we should "cite the source's source", by including "citing NARA publication XXXX". But in my narrative, after I have used the full reference at least once for each of the census years, what about the case where I say, citing the 1860 census again and again, but for different states or counties? Should I continue to [reduntly] reference the NARA publication? This is making my citations excruciatingly long.

Family Artifacts, Photocopies of Vital Records

I have in my possession several photocopies of family vital records, the originals of which are in possession of another family member. I am unable to view those originals myself nor am I able to obtain them because of state restrictions. Am I correct in using the format for Private Holdings: Artifacts? I am struggling with how much detail from the copy I need to include in the citation. Should I cite where the original was created? In my attempt below, the location is the location of birth.

Which Date to Use?

I'm just getting started in genealogy, so I want to be sure to start out with the correct source citations. I have a photocopy of a birth certificate for someone born in 1916. However, the Filed date is 1937. It says nothing about it being a delayed birth certificate. The birth certificate was certified and sent from the State of Colorado to the named person in 1950. I'm using EE p. 430 as my guide. Which year do I use, 1916, 1937, or 1950? Also, the File No. and Registered No. are both blank. I just put 'unnumbered' in place of the file number. Is there a better way of doing it?

How do you define a series?

I've been wrestling with citations for microfilmed newspapers for quite some time.  In an earlier thread you pointed us to the QuickCheck model on p. 660, where the published microfilm was identified by its series title and not a film title.  So how do you determine what is a "series" vs. a film/volume "title" ?

I found some very detailed examples in EE 12.84–12.89, but I was still confused about how to define a series.  Also I didn't see an entry for "series" in the glossary.