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Source Detail


A particular source of information may be used an unlimited number of times within a Family File.  You might find a book or bible that contains hundreds of family members.  The location of each piece of information for each individual should be recorded.  Rather than record the entire source description hundreds (or thousands) of times, taking up huge amounts of storage space, it is much more efficient to enter a general source description once, point to it in the master list and record just the unique information for each piece's place within that source. 

The Source Detail window is where you enter information about a source that indicates where in a specific source the cited information was found.  Most source templates contain additional detail fields, that when filled in, are incorporated into the final output of the footnotes or endnotes.

 
The Source Detail window is normally displayed when you are entering a new source citation.  After you have enter the Master source information and clicked Save, the Source Detail window is displayed.  You can also display the Source Detail window for an existing source citation by clicking Edit Detail from the Assigned Sources screen for an individual or marriage.

Detail Fields - Enter the requested information if you know it.  These is usually page numbers, volume numbers, item numbers of a microfilm rolls, line numbers, etc.
 
Surety Level - While specifying the source detail, you can also indicate the Surety Level of the information.  This number, from zero to four, shows how sure you are of the information.
 
0 indicates that you have not yet made up your mind about how convincing this source of information is.
 
1 indicates that there is a little evidence to support this fact but it is not too convincing.
 
2 indicates that this is probably a true fact.  You don't have any reason to doubt it but there is no other evidence that backs it up.
 
3 indicates that this is almost certainly a reliable source with factual information.
 
4 indicates that you are as sure as you can be about this piece of information.  There are multiple sources supporting this fact, or you know someone who was there, or you were there yourself.  You are convinced that it is true.
 
Recorded Date - This is the date you recorded the source citation.
 
File ID # - You can assign your own filing number to the citation if desired.
 
File ID Assistant
To help you figure out the next available file ID number, click the Assistant button .  (See File ID Number Assistant for more information.) 
 
Text/Comments Tab - Here you can record actual source text and comments about the source pertaining to this citation.  The text box can be a word-for-word copy of any description contained in the source.  Don't enter opinions about the source by you or the compiler.  This should only include "what the original record keeper said" as opposed to any interpretations.  The Comments box is used to record notes for each source citation you enter.  

Embedding Formatting Codes into the Notes - You can add formatting codes to your source text and comments so that portions print in bold, italics, underline and superscript.  These codes are used when printing reports, producing word processing files and Web pages.  (See Text Formatting for complete information on how to do this.)
 
Media Tab - Used to attach graphic files and other files to the source. These may be scanned images such as birth certificates, obituaries, sound files, etc.

Overrides Tab - You can override the automatically formatted output that SourceWriter produces for the footnote citation or subsequent citation.  You can pre-fill each override section by clicking on the button to its right.  You can change the output to anything you want.  To actually override the default output, you must also checkmark the option just below each section.

Note:  Both master sources and source detail citations can be overriden.  Any override to the footnote or subsequent citation formats for a detail citation takes precedence over an override to the master source.

Output Preview
To the right of the input section is the Output Preview.  As you enter the information about the source detail, it is instantly processed and displayed in three different formats so that you can see how it will look when included on a report or book.  The Footnote/Endnote Citation output is used for the first occurrence of a footnote (at the bottom of each page where a source is cited) or endnote (at the end of each generation, chapter, or book) on a report.  The Subsequent Citation is used in the same places as the footnotes and endnotes but uses a condensed format that doesn't require as much room.  The Bibliography is printed at the end of a report and is a summary of all the master sources cited in the report and is shown in alphabetical order.

Copying Source Citations to Paste Elsewhere
If you want to copy a generated source citation to paste into an email or document, you can highlight the citation in the Output Preview area and press Ctrl-C on your keyboard to copy it to the Window clipboard.  You can then use Ctrl-V to paste it anywhere you want.

Verified - This checkbox is used when you have verified the source detail information.  For example, if you receive information from another person, either through a GEDCOM import or by email or other means, you should verify that the source citations are true and accurate.  As you check each citation, you can mark Verified to indicate your confirmation of the source detail information.  (Master Sources also have a Verified checkbox for the same reason.)


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