Citation Issues

I've been working with Ancestry.com (online) and Family Tree Maker 2019 on my Mac for a number of years, and have been baffled by how to name (that is, identify) and cite my photographs, obituaries, scans, screen captures, as well as online census and newspapers in Ancestry and other online image databases.

I'm working with county-level voter registration records in California, 1866-1872. Before an election, the County Clerk had at least 10 copies of the County's "Great Register" printed. These were distributed to the County's election officials. The early versions of these printed copies were booklets with a title cover without publication information. Later they were submitted as print jobs to local printers, who added their names, publication dates, and places. Sometimes the cover will carry the statement, "Published by Authority."

Thank you for hosting the Evidence Explained Forum.  I recently submitted an article to the NGS Quarterly and they required evidentiary changes.  I have three questions.

Hi EE (or anyone else who wishes to respond),

I'm looking for a little guidance on the footnote that I have created below and have a few questions.

I recently had a chat with a family member who wanted me to find out the birthdate of an aunt of hers gave me background information in a text message and I wasn't quite sure how to cite it. I based the citation below on EE 3.42 similarly to an instant message. Does this seem correct or do you have suggestion on how to improve it?

I’m returning to my research after an absence and realized that EE has been updated a couple times since I was active.  Before I purchase an updated edition, are there any plan to release a new edition in the near future?

Thanks,

Jenn

I have in my possession, a birth certificate for my grandmother issued by the county health department. She was born in 1907. The issue date on the certificate is Sept. 7, 1965. (My grandfather died a few days prior; she likely needed the certificate for legal reasons or to file for social security benefits.)  The certificate has a raised seal. The certificate passed from my grandmother to my father and now to me.  Also of note, there is not a "certificate number;" rather, the certificate references a book (H-12) and page (6).

So a couple years ago, a bit of this was covered in the following topic: https://www.evidenceexplained.com/content/online-databases-citing-when-there-doesnt-seem-be-enough-info

Now that I’m working on a few entries (new found biological relations are heavily from West Virginia) I have a few questions.

I am in the process of crafting a citation for information from a school yearbook. In the citation I have included the required information  plus the URL which was provided to me by email from  the University. Should the citation also include information re "the source of the source"?

I think one of my biggest obstacles to citing all my sources is that I've been stuck on how to properly cite the records about myself and my direct family, so it felt like I couldn't really document my pedigree until I skipped to at least my grandparents, where I can find some "normal" records to cite. I'm specifically thinking of the marriage license & certificate that I possess for my own wedding, as well as the birth certificates for my children (attached image).