Ancestry Source-of-the-Source Issues

By History-Hunter on Tue, 05/21/2019 - 11:22

Forums

Dear Editor;

I've read over QuickLesson 26. I've done this several times. However; I still find citing the source of the Ancestry info to be the single most frustrating aspect of using their data.

I understand that we should use the form, "citing ' [Ancestry's stated source-of-source]'." Unfortunately; the punctuation, element ordering and lack of completeness of the stated information, often drives me crazy. The latter point introduces the risk that the data cannot easily be found, even of the noted original site.

Here is what Ancestry shows for one record that I'm researching: 

Source Citation corresponds to 
Description
Surname Range 2: Mulock, Adele To Murphy, Rowland
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Canada, Ocean Arrivals (Form 30A), 1919-1924 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.
Original data: Library and Archives Canada. Form 30A, 1919-1924 (Ocean Arrivals). Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, n.d.. RG 76. Department of Employment and Immigration Fonts. Microfilm Reels: T-14939 to T-15248.

It's not too bad in-so-far as it goes. The following source-of-the-source statement results from explicitly citing their "Original" data. 

...; citing "Library and Archives Canada. Form 30A, 1919-1924 (Ocean Arrivals). Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, n.d.. RG 76. Department of Employment and Immigration Fonts. Microfilm Reels: T-14939 to T-15248."

General Questions:

  1. Do we have the leeway to at least correct the punctuation to reflect a reference note, rather than a source note?
  2. Can we re-order the elements, if required, to conform to a standard ascending or descending order of detail?

Addendum:

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) site can be a bit confusing to navigate. The above source-of-the-source statement does not give enough information to locate the record. Per the Library and Archives Canada site, this specific set of Form 30A forms belong to "RG 76 C1j". Finally; the "Surname Range 2: Mulock, Adele To Murphy, Rowland" actually corresponds to reel T-15137 per the LAC site. The previously Ancestry-based statement is not really complete.

If anyone is going to find this data in any other repository than Ancestry, I think the following note needs to be added to the Ancestry-based source-of source;

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) site archives the "Ocean Arrivals, Form 30A, 1919-1924" collection as "RG 76 C1j". The record in question is located on microfilm reel T-15137, which is most easily located via LAC "http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/mass-digitized-archives/ocean-arrivals" : 21 May 2019).

(Admittedly; having written this post, and noted the issues, I'm inclined to take the time to locate and directly cite any original and freely available LAC record in future.)

Submitted byEEon Tue, 05/21/2019 - 20:59

History-Hunter, rarely do providers of record images give us well-tailored citations. Many history-focused sites do give fairly good citations but only in source list (bibliography) format, which we then have to reconstruct for reference notes. Ancestry gives us "record descriptions," which we then have to deconstruct—picking and choosing essential details to construct our own citation.

As to your two questions: yes and yes!

And yes, LAC, NARA, TNG and all their ilk can be confusing to navigate. You're to be commended for the efforts you make to understand the structure of the record collections you are using. Your added comments—which you clearly separate from the core citation—should help many more who use your work.