Now, notwithstanding the origins of the data in FamilySearch Family Tree and notwithstanding the lack of documentation and sources to that data for whatever reason, and further notwithstanding the effort that may or may not have been put into the data in the past, the current program has an elegant method of adding sources and promises to break the endless cycle of copying wrong information. But it only works if it is used.
First, it is important to note that there is a way to directly connect sources to support each event or fact from FamilySearch.org itself that makes the process slick and relatively easy. There is also a way to reference and link to sources outside of FamilySearch.org. As with anything even mildly complicated, you might just have to read the manual of instructions. In this case, the manual is called "Using the FamilySearch Family Tree: A Reference Guide (3 January 2013)." The date refers to the date of the latest changes to the program and will increment as the program evolves. There are two versions of the Reference Manual: one that contains the extra information about Temple ordinances of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one where that information is omitted. The Reference Manual is located in the FamilySearch.org Help Center on a page called Family Tree Training. You may need to register and login to the program to see all of this information.
The references about to how to enter sources are contained in Chapter 7 of the Reference Manual, currently from page 99 to page 126. The entire process of adding sources to Family Tree revolves around a temporary individual storage area called the "Source Box." This is each users' individual source box and cannot be accessed by any other users. Here is the description of the Source Box from the Reference Manual at page 102 (page numbers may change as information is added to the Manual):
Your source box contains the sources that you want to attach to your ancestors. It lets
you reuse sources instead of retyping a source each time you need to use it.
You can add up to 10,000 sources in your source box. However, most people find that
having too many sources makes it hard to find the one they need. Use these hints to
manage your source box effectively.
The link to the Source Box is in a pull-down menu from where your name appears at the top of each page in FamilySearch.org. You click on your name to see a link to the Source Box. When you find a source in FamilySearch.org's Historical Record Collection, you can add the source to your Source Box by clicking on the link, which changes to say "Add a Source." The Reference Manual explains this as follows at page 99:
- In your source box, keep only the sources that you need for the ancestors that you are currently working on. Your source box is not intended to be a place to permanently store every source that you have ever created.
- After you attach a source to every ancestor that needs it, remove it from your source box.
- Use folders to organize your sources into groups. For example, you could create a folder for all of the sources about a specific family line. When you open that folder, you can see a much smaller set of sources and more easily find the one that you want. You can have up to 50 folders in your source box.
You can get a source into your source box in these ways:
- You can enter the source by typing in a title, URL, citation, and notes.
- You can find a record on familysearch.org, and add it to your source box. When you add a source this way, FamilySearch.org does all of the hard work for you. It creates the source title, URL, and citation. All you have to do is enter any notes that you want. If FamilySearch.org improves any of the information about this source, it makes the changes in Family Tree for you.
- You can find a source that is attached to someone in the tree and add it to your source box for use on your own ancestors.
If you add a source from FamilySearch.org, all of the information about the source is automatically copied into the reference in your Source Box. Once and entry in in your Source Box, that source information can be linked to any of the pertinent individuals. This is done by going to the individual's information page and clicking on the links to Add a Source. If you add a source from outside of FamilySearch.org, then you will have to type in the information in a form and then add the source.
All this sounds more complicated than it really is. Right there on the Family Tree Training page there is a video called, of all things, "Adding Sources." I suggest viewing the video also.
I will continue this discussion in the future and address the commonly asked questions about sources.