Family Historian User Group

I was working on the assumption that the best way to record Birth civil registration data was by using the Civil Registration Data (UK) plugin. This seems to favour Method 1 (Splitter) for citing sources. Following the Knowledge Base page for citing sources, method 2 seems to be more appropriate, since the source is only attached to a single fact.

As I understand it, the only way Method 1 works is if there is a single source for ALL Births, with the citation specific information written to the Individual Record.

By using this plugin, it seems to generate an identical source record for each Birth recorded.
Is this because I am using the plugin wrong, or misunderstood the difference between the 2 methods of citation?

You misunderstand the difference between Method 1 'splitter' and Method 2 'lumper' Source Citations.

The 'Record Civil Registration Data (UK)' plugin DEA is designed to work with Source Template 'Civil Registration Index' which uses the Method 2 'lumper' structure where there is only one Source Record for a particular type of registration (Birth, Marriage, Death, Divorce), particular Country, and particular Collection/URL. The details are held in the Citation.

Most other DEA and Source Templates use the Method 1 'splitter' structure where there is a separate Source Record for every specific document and the Citations are almost empty.

Mike

tatewise wrote: ↑

08 Dec 2022 12:24

The 'Record Civil Registration Data (UK)' plugin DEA is designed to work with Source Template 'Civil Registration Index' which uses the Method 2 'lumper' structure where there is only one Source Record for a particular type of registration (Birth, Marriage, Death, Divorce), particular Country, and particular Collection/URL. The details are held in the Citation.

I agree that it uses the 'lumper' structure. What confuses me is that ALL the source records it creates are identical - have the same title so no easy way to identify which source record applies to whom.

The plugin has an option (default) to 'Add Citation to Individual Record'. This generates 2 citations: If that is unchecked it generates a single citation:
From what I can see both citations are identical, so what is the difference between the 2 options.

I guess that when adding a new Civil Registration you are choosing Create Source... or Add New Source...?
That will create another Source Record but with all the same details (as if it were a Method 1 'splitter' style).
You should only do that the first time you are creating an entry for a new Type, Country or Collection/URL.

Mostly, you should be choosing a Prepare/Cite Existing Source... option to reuse it in the Method 2 'lumper' style.
Then the same Source Record applies to all the Citations for any one Type, Country & Collection/URL.
That is how Method 2 'lumper' style works. It is different from Method 1 and has different features.

If you prefer to use Method 1 for Civil Registrations then you will have to redesign the Template and DEA.

The option to 'Add Citation to Individual Record' will add a Citation for the whole record as well as the BMD Fact.
You should be able to find that at the top of the Sources For: drop list as <whole record>* as well as Birth*, etc.

tatewise wrote: ↑

08 Dec 2022 14:42

I guess that when adding a new Civil Registration you are choosing Create Source... or Add New Source...?
That will create another Source Record but with all the same details (as if it were a Method 1 'splitter' style).
You should only do that the first time you are creating an entry for a new Type, Country or Collection/URL.

That was where I was going wrong. I understand now why I have multiple identical source records.

I am still lost as to why the citation is duplicated on the individuals record if you choose to add the citation to the individual record; surely once is enough?

Thanks, I understand how citations work a bit better now.

Normie wrote: ↑

08 Dec 2022 16:07

I am still lost as to why the citation is duplicated on the individuals record if you choose to add the citation to the individual record; surely once is enough?

The default is to add the Citation to two places in the Individual record (but the first is optional):

1. <whole record> i.e. the existence of the person as a whole is proved by the Civil Registration document.
2. Birth/Marriage/Death Fact i.e. that specific fact is proved by the Civil Registration document.

Maybe you did not realise that Citations can be added to more places than Individual record Facts.
They can be added to Individual Names, Individual Notes, Individual Media, Fact Places, Fact Notes, etc, and of course all the equivalent Family record entities.

Thanks Mike

It all makes sense now.