Genealogical citations. Like fibre in the diet, we’re told they’re good for us.
They aim to provide evidence of the sources used, facilitate others’ review and evaluation of the evidence, and make it easier to find the source in the future.
With those benefits come disadvantages, notably that they take up paper and ink when printed while being passed over by most readers. They are tedious to produce.
Following on a test of Cite-Builder and ChatGPT4.o on a Canada 1901 census example, here’s another for an English baptismal record using ChatGPT4.o. I prompted for the citation in Evidence Explained format. The result varies depending on the source – Ancestry/Findmypast/
MyHeritage/FamilySearch – as it should be.
Given the strictures of Evidence Explained, I doubt these are fully format compliant, but they are considerably less tedious to produce, and have all the information, and perhaps more, than you might want.
From Ancestry
Northwood, William Henry. Baptism, 26 December 1845, Birmingham, St Philip, Warwickshire, England. Birth, 9 June 1840. Age 5. Father: John Northwood. Mother: Jane Northwood. “Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1922.” Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com.
From Ancestry using information in Sources
Northwood, William Henry. Baptism, 26 December 1845, Birmingham, St Philip, Warwickshire, England. Birth, 9 June 1840. Age 5. Father: John Northwood. Mother: Jane Northwood. “Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1922.” Library of Birmingham; Birmingham, England, UK; Birmingham Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: Dro 25; Archive Roll: M43. Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com.
From Ancestry, requesting an abbreviated version
Northwood, William Henry. Baptism, 26 December 1845, Birmingham, St Philip, Warwickshire, England. Library of Birmingham; Birmingham Church of England Parish Registers; Ref. Dro 25; Archive Roll: M43. Ancestry.com.
From Findmypast
Northwood, William Henry. Baptism, 27 December 1840, Aston Juxta Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Birth year 1840. Father: John Northwood. Mother: Jane Northwood. “England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975.” Transcript, Findmypast.co.uk. https://www.findmypast.co.uk. Index © IRI. Used by permission of FamilySearch Intl.
From MyHeritage
Northwood, William Henry. Birth, 9 June 1840, and christening, 27 December 1840, Aston Juxta Birmingham, Warwick, England. Father: John Northwood. Mother: Jane Northwood. “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975.” Indexing Project (Batch) Number C01168-2. System Origin: England-ODM. GS Film number 919793. MyHeritage. https://www.myheritage.com.
FamilySearch suggested citation
“England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975”, database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NY1G-3RS : 4 February 2023), William Henry Northwood, 1845.
From FamilySearch results
Northwood, William Henry. Christening, 26 December 1845, St Philip, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Birth, 9 June 1840. Father: John Northwood. Mother: Jane Northwood. FamilySearch. https://www.familysearch.org.
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