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From: Janis Walker Gilmore <>
Subject: Re: [TGF] Citationitis (was Citatinitis)
Date: Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:08:30 -0400
In-Reply-To: <029d01cb4b9c$6c2eaa10$448bfe30$@net>


I am glad to see that the subject line has been corrected, and wish to point
out that I labeled the disease Citation Insecurity.

Just don't want the onus of "citatinitis" on me. <g>

And, Harold, Elissa, Elizabeth, and others--thanks for the clarification.

Janis


On 9/3/10 3:15 PM, "" <> wrote:

> Linda wrote:
>> I do think census citations should include the line numbers on the census
> forms and I record them. I don't understand why they're not part of the
> conventional citation format.
>
>
> Linda, EE, NGSQ, and like-minded works do recommend using line numbers to
> identify households on the pre-1850 U.S. censuses, where that is the only
> identification number that could be used for the households. But the 1850
> and later use of dwelling and family numbers provide a much more informative
> identification. As two examples:
>
> - Using dwelling/family numbers to identify the various households of
> interest on a given census spotlights the proximity or distance between
> those households.
>
> - In cases where multiple families shared a common dwelling, identifying
> them by dwelling and family number spotlights the fact that they shared
> housing--something that a citation to a line number for one family member in
> each household would not do. &c &c &c.
>
> So much of what we do and conclude as genealogists does focus upon putting
> individuals into *context,* as opposed to "isolating" individuals for a
> quicker location (something I think you'll agree with, having seen on many
> occasions, how deeply you probe issues).
>
> Elizabeth
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG
> The Evidence Series
>
>
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