* Source - Terminology

[ColinMc]

As a relative newcomer, I still find difficulty using the correct terminology in FH. One minor bit that always gets me is in the Source Pane in the Properties Panel (hopefully the right terms).

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In my mind I find the words "Add Citation" at the bottom left to be confusing. Surely what we are adding here is a Source (and the Citation will form a part of that Source).

I find this is exacerbated by the fact that (in my case) the main addition of Sources is handled by AS, and so adding a source manually, is a pretty infrequent event

I appreciate experienced users will have no issues, but newer and more infrequent users might be happier if this said "Add Source" or have I completely mis-understood the point?

[tatewise]

Yes Colin, it is somewhat confusing, but it might help to get clear the difference between the Citation and the Source.

In GEDCOM/FH terms the Citation is a local component of the fact (the Death Event in your example).
So the Citation details typically reside within the Individual (or Family) record.
That is what is shown in the yellow pane revealed by the yellow Show Sources button.
( To me it is that button that is misnamed and should be Show Citations. )

One of several fields in each Citation is a link to a separate Source record.
In other words the fact cites the source, and offers other Citation fields such as Entry Date and Assessment, which are NOT part of the Source record.
The Add Citation button is adding that citation of the source, and may reference an existing Source record.
Thus a new Source record might not get added, only a new Citation of an existing Source record.
So in many cases Add Source record would be a misnomer.

The adjacent buttons Copy/Paste/Delete Citation do what they say and manage all the fields of the Citation.
They do NOT do anything to any Source record linked to the Citation.
It is the blue arrow Go To Source Record that reveals the linked Source record Property Box.

Some of that is perhaps made clearer via the Records Window that has Individuals, Families & Sources tabs.
In the latter it lists how many Citations link to each Source record.

[ColinMc]

Thanks Mike

I need to read this in detail, and take it in, before responding

Colin

[ColeValleyGirl]

A simpler way of putting it may be to describe a Citation (which has a number of associated details belonging to it) as a link between a Fact and a Source. So when you see the button Add Citation , it is offering to add a link between the Fact (or name or whatever) and a Source, not to add a Source.

However, when you choose Add Citation, at that point you get the option for the link to go to an existing source or a to new one...

[ColinMc]

Thanks for the feedback both of you.

After reading them, I decided to look at the "Getting the most from FH" book. The index contains no entry for "Citations", but it does have "Source Citations", thus (initially) adding to my confusion.

However, having read that and the forum replies, it does become clearer. Perhaps the most obvious issue that brought it being your statements that there may already be existing sources. If not using AS, then this is obviously a far more regular occurrence.

In fact the Book's references to "Source Citations" does actually seem to make a lot more sense, and is perhaps a better way to describe it, and I agree now with Mike that

(To me it is that button that is misnamed and should be Show Citations.)

Thanks for the help

[ColinMc]

Having read & re-read the book, your answers, and looked at the Sample Project, I'm still a bit puzzled on one point.

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The book says

If a Field has one or more Source citations, as Birth does, it has an asterisk.

(my Bold)

I'm not sure I can see this yet.

I can see that the Source has 7 Citations, but the Field (Birth) seems to me to have just the one, so why is it asterisked? What am I missing here please?

Incidentally, is there a simple way to see all the Citations a Source has?

Colin

[LornaCraig]

Note that the asterisk appears if there are one or more source(s). In other words there will be no asterisk if there are no sources.

There are various ways to see all citations of a source:
1. Run the List All Citations for a Source plugin. (Use Tools> Plugins and click on Plugin Store from where it can be downloaded). In the Results set you can click on each cell in the Item column to open the Propert Box with the focus on the fact which cites the source.

2. Run the Standard Query Individuals Linked to Source. But note this will only show a list of Individual records, not exact fields and no other record types.

3. With the Source selected in the Records window use View > Record Links. This will list all the records (of any type) linked to the source, but again not exact facts (and there may be more than one per record).

[ColinMc]

Note that the asterisk appears if there are one or more source(s). In other words there will be no asterisk if there are no sources.

OK this is all part of the confusion around consistent use of terminology. Thanks

I'll have a look at that Plug-in. It was not one I had downloaded previously, so couldn't see a good way to get them. It seems the best solution.

Colin

[ColinMc]

The plug-in is exactly what I wanted. Thanks

[tatewise]

The problem of finding all Citations for Source(s) is just one of the many record linkage challenges.
See how_to:finding_where_records_are_used|> Finding where Records are used which describes all the mechanisms available and for Source records leads to how_to:find_links_to_source|> Finding Records linked to a Source.