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FamilySearch continues to confuse me at every turn. I’ve spent most of the day trying to find the best way to cite a naturalization record, so either I’m overthinking it, or FamilySearch is doing what it does best.
The petition can be found in a named database “New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791–1980”: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89MX-99S5-N?view=explore
In this example, the cover of the book wasn’t filmed, and the internal pages don’t provide a volume name.
The information tab gives the creator, the volume, and the IGN, while the target indicates these are records of naturalization petitions from the Kings County Clerk in Brooklyn, NY.
This leaves me wondering where this information belongs in the citation layers.
- Do I use the information tab for the creator and to construct a generic title, or would that be mixing layers?
- Do I use the “source of the source” layer to cite the Kings County Clerk, which came from the target?
- Do I include IGN if I am finding it through the database?
I’ve found other ways to cite this—like browsing—which gives me a similar but slightly different set of image numbers. In that case, some of this information appears in the path. Also, in that case, FamilySearch cites “multiple county clerk offices of New York.” Would it be acceptable to cite the Kings County Clerk instead, since that comes from the target?
Hello, Hendrickson. Yes,…
Hello, Hendrickson. Yes, indeed. If you've spent most of the day trying to create a citation, you're definitely overthinking it !
Regarding your bulleted questions:
Bullet 1: Yes, you would be mixing layers. You'd be attributing to the original an identification created by the online database. If someone had access to the originals elsewhere, they would not find there the descriptive label applied by FamilySearch.
Bullet 2: Yes. If your identification of the location of the original (the source of your source) is from the FamilySearch target, then you would indeed put that information in your "Citing ..." layer (Layer 3), where you would be saying that the online database cites this as the location of the original but you have not verified it for yourself.
Bullet 3: As for whether to include the IGN, if you are finding it through the database, remember the basic rule: We cite what we use. If you found it through FamilySearch's main search form, "Search Historical Records" (https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/), then that's the database you cite. (After all, this set of naturalizations does not have its own database.) After the parentheses with the URL and date, you would then identify your search terms or the path that led you to the specific image.
An Evidence Style citation would use Template 10: Online Image (No Named Database). Have you tried this?
Thank you for your response…
Thank you for your response—it was very helpful. I realize I may have caused some confusion by not including the URL to the named database “New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791–1980.” and instead providing only a URL to the example.
Those details were what I was looking for, and I don't think that changes the substance of your answer.
Apparently, I’m still finding new ways to make this more complicated than it needs to be. I guess I am just having one of those days...
Thanks again—I appreciate your help!