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(More customer reviews)Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources . . . is, arguably, one of the most important works that any genealogy buff should have on his/her bookshelf. Citing sources consistently and meaningfully is the single most important criteria by which a family history is judged and failure to properly document these sources not only completely invalidates many family histories (as they cannot be viewed with confidence) but is quickly recognized by others who are searching for the same ancestors. Without question, my criticisms of genealogical research have focused on the shoddy and haphazard approach that genealogists (including hobbyists) have had to use because there simply have been no standards for doing so. This is something that I've struggled with, over the past twenty years myself - I've used Richard Lackey's now very outdated "Cite your sources: a manual for documenting family histories and genealogical records" (copyright 1980) when I first published my own family history well over a decade ago and have since howled in dismay at the lack of standardization for citing sources in essentially all of the software applications created since then (RootsMagic 4 appears to be the first to address this problem in their latest program). This has caused me considerable grief whenever I've tried to update my own databases.
Evidence Explained (second edition - I don't own the first) has done an exceptional job in providing a strong starting ground for the standardization of genealogical citation practices and provides a nearly encyclopedic approach in covering the topic. While genealogical citation practices are still developing, Elizabeth Mills has created an exemplary work on the topic - this book is long, long overdue. Fortunately, she has also addressed one of the most difficult tasks that has developed over the past ten to fifteen years - the need to document electronic sources - and she has done a splendid job.
Perhaps my only criticism (so far) is that this book attempts to draw attention away from genealogy by proclaiming that is is focused on citing "history sources" - sure, genealogy should be taken seriously but it should not try to piggyback on other disciplines (such as history and the social sciences); rather, it seek recognition as it's own unique topic worthy of study. I also couldn't help but notice that the bibliography cites references to other widely used citation formats (most notably the Chicago Manual of Style and the Modern Language Association of America) but ignores one of the most widely styles used by those in the social sciences - that of the American Psychological Association. Just the same, this is not a problem but is worthy of note.
At the moment, I believe that this book is exemplary and finally provides a rock solid foundation upon which citing sources in genealogical research has desperately needed for so long. At last, genealogists have a valid model upon which to guide the most important component of creating family histories - documenting sources. Anyone compiling a genealogy needs to buy this book NOW, and strive to use it.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Evidence Explained:Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace 2nd Edition
Following its enthusiastic reception in 2007, we are pleased to announce a new edition of what is now the definitive guide to the citation and analysis of historical sources, a guide so thorough that it leaves nothing to chance, whether you want a podcast or a census record. The new second edition of Evidence Explained includes updates to numerous websites, new models for electronic sources such as blogs and online forums, and new model citations to traditional and non-traditional genealogical sources, thus continuing its role as the single-most comprehensive style manual for genealogical writing and publishing.
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