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I have a couple of questions regarding gravestone images and memorial pages.
I’m curious why we’re now citing cemetery information in a separate layer. Previously, it followed the date in the first layer. Since Find A Grave doesn’t specify the source of its information, I’m unclear on why we would use the word “citing.”
Find a Grave, database with images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9266561/daniel-hull: 1 October 2023), “Dr. Daniel Hull” (1714–1744) memorial created by “RichH,” with tombstone image by “GailF”; citing Old Burying Ground, Cutchogue, Suffolk County, New York.
My second question is regarding the Veteran’s Memorial Website. My first thoughts were that it should be cited similarly to FindAGrave. Most of the memorials on this site only contain gravestone images and cemetery information. Yet, a few others have obituaries, tributes, photos and more. – which got me wondering if I should cite it like a Funeral Home memorial page. Or - does it depend on what I am citing on the page?
Most examples look like this: https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/CORNELIUSSTILLWELL/06E53AC
Here's one that contains much more information: https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/DELORISLOUISERUDDOCK/9c98df
Also, a question about contributors. Many of the images do not specify who contributed the images, particularly the gravestone images. Buried in their FAQ's it's noted that the National Cemetery Association gathers cemetery data and images from cemeteries. Should I state the NCA is the contributor?
Hendrickson, Question 1:…
Hendrickson,
Question 1: EE4's example for Find A Grave places "citing ..." in a separate layer, just as we do for every other site. When we view that tombstone image, we are not at the cemetery and we cannot tell from that image where the cemetery is. All we can say, accurately, is that the memorial is "citing Old Burying Ground, Cutchogue, Suffolk County, New York." Also note that there should be a space between the URL and the colon in every case, so the colon will not be caught up as part of the URL and make it unworkale. See EE4 2.35 (p. 70) "Line Breaks & Punctuation," para. 3. This is not new; it's been an essential since the first edition.
Question 2: Everything about a citation will "depend on what [we are] citing on the page"!
Question 3: Contributors may or may not be identified. That situation is no different from longstanding citations to published works whose author may or may not be identified. See EE4 13.11–12. If we have a stated identity, we cite that person. If no identity is given but we have an outside source that identifies the author/creator, then we may choose to place the name in square editorial brackets. It's a judgment call we make with every situation.