* Apply source citation to existing data

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andrewfindlay
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Apply source citation to existing data

Post by andrewfindlay »

I have a tree created using data supplied direct by family members, to which I didn't give source citations. I would now like to give the source record "Information supplied by Family Member" citation to all this data but it will be a very long job doing it individually, even with Copy Pane Citation. Is there a way of apply source citation to existing data in bulk?

Could one search for all individuals born after a certain date and then apply the source record to all of them? Alternatively find all individuals with no source records and apply the "Information supplied by Family Member" to all of them?

I have tried the search and replace plugin, but it will not replace a blank entry with text.

I'm sure this must be a common problem, but I cannot find an article on it anywhere.
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Jane
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Re: Apply source citation to existing data

Post by Jane »

I am not sure adding a blanket source would help in this case, you will not improve the ability of someone to check your data as the family member who supplied the information would not be known.

You could write a plugin to do this fairly easily, using the Record select option to pick all the records you want to add the source to add then apply the source to the record.
Jane
My Family History : My Photography "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."
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tatewise
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Re: Apply source citation to existing data

Post by tatewise »

I agree with Jane that adding such a Source does not really help.
Anyway, would you add it to each Individual record as a whole, or to each separate Fact?

I would just add a Note to your File Root person saying that all unsourced data came from family members.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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Jane
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Re: Apply source citation to existing data

Post by Jane »

One extra thought if you want to add a source to everything before sending it so someone else. There is a handy trick.

Create a new empty project. Use the File>Merge Compare to import your existing project and use the option to add a source to all added information. This means you can add a source to everything in the file before you share it.
Jane
My Family History : My Photography "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."
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andrewfindlay
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Re: Apply source citation to existing data

Post by andrewfindlay »

Hi Jane & Tatewise
Thanks for your replies and suggestions: very helpful.

I appreciate your comments re its limited use: it might be better as "Information supplied by immediate family member" to make it a bit more worthwhile.

I will try to learn writing a plugin: occasionally I forget to enable the automatic citations and realise I have 20 people with no sources, so it would also be useful for that.

I also found I can apply citations to multiple individuals and their facts by selecting them in Records view, but that is still pretty laborious.

It is a note for myself as much as anything, I have started getting fastidious about sources and realise I feel uncomfortable not having them for the new information. There seems to be almost no publicly available information for people alive now (which is understandable) so it will be 50 years or so before someone can replace my "Information supplied by immediate family member" with a public source.

Thanks again
Andrew
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Jane
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Re: Apply source citation to existing data

Post by Jane »

Personally, I source using GRO indexes as a confirming source against information given verbally by other members of the family, so this means for a birth I will have a Source eg "Jane Smith nee Jones (I2) Verbal" and a second source of GRO Birth, Where in source 1964 Q1 Taunton 5a xxx
Jane
My Family History : My Photography "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."
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andrewfindlay
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Re: Apply source citation to existing data

Post by andrewfindlay »

Thanks: GRO looks very useful and I have registered with it.
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