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Stevens1965

Deleting sources

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I have been using TMG for several years. Back before I was familiar with the program, and before I started reading instructions, I created a "new" source for each event, instead of referencing an already-added source each time it was needed. For example, my Master Source List includes "Tombstone" many times, with one citation each time, instead of "Tombstone" one time with, perhaps, 100 citations. Same with references to published books, letters from Grandma, etc. Now, I'd like to follow each cited source to its event, link that event to just one referenced source, and then eliminate the duplicate sources. Would make the Source List and related events much more manageable and efficient.

Can this be done?

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You identify the citations linked to a given source with...

 

List of Citations

filter

Source Number = [?] END

 

Each time that you run the report, you will be prompted for the source number.

 

That will identify the places that you have used those citations (name, event, or relationship tags).

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Then go to that individual, add the desired source (the first mention of "Tombstone" on the list, for example), delete the reference to the other "Tombstone", then go to the Master Source List and delete the source "Tombstone" which no longer is being used as a citation. Correct?

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Right. After you identify where the citation is used, it's a hands-on process to make the changes that you wish.

 

You probably want a mix of lumped sources and individual sources. For example, I might use a cemetery as a source for gravestores but not lump all gravestones (from all cemeteries) together. On the other hand, I record each book that I might use as an individual source.

 

For a census, you could use anything from one end of the spectrum (each household record as a source) vs. to the other end of the spectrum... lumping U.S. census by census years (1850 U.S. Census).

 

If you lump sources, you should put the details for a given record into the citation detail. For example, you would put the gravestone location (in the cemetery) into the citaion if you use the cemetery as a source. You would put complete census information into the citation detail if you lumped the U.S. Census into census years.

 

The ultimate goal is that a reader should be able to use the combination of the citation and source to go directly to the source material that you use. How you do things comes down to how you want to do it.

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That's exactly what I've tried to do, especially since I upgraded to V6. I list one census record as the Source (1850 Hamilton Co. TN, for example) then use the detail section to add family info, etc.

Thanks for your help!

Now, to grab an adult beverage and dive in...

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Then go to that individual, add the desired source (the first mention of "Tombstone" on the list, for example), delete the reference to the other "Tombstone", then go to the Master Source List and delete the source "Tombstone" which no longer is being used as a citation. Correct?

Yes, that will work. But if no changed is needed in the Citation Detail there is probably an easier way. Instead of manually citing the "new" source and deleting the old citation, open the Master Source List and Merge the two sources. One of the Sources will be deleted and all the citations to it will be transferred to the other Source. It's still a one-at-a-time process, but may be a bit simpler to do.

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Thanks, Jim & Terry.

As I recall, the Detail is different in almost every case. Source is "Tombstone"; detail might be the cemetery, the grave location, words on the headstone, etc.

I've also noticed that, since going from version 4 to version 6 (plus, probably, as a result of loading V4 with a GEDCOM from Brother's Keeper some years ago) many of the details have been lost or posted incorrectly, specifically, many of the marriages were no longer linked. And, frankly, I was not too good at noting sources when I was posting information from the original material. Going back through each Source to make the above changes will give me opportunities to make additional changes/corrections as well.

Thanks again for the excellent Customer Service!

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Thanks, Jim & Terry.

As I recall, the Detail is different in almost every case. Source is "Tombstone"; detail might be the cemetery, the grave location, words on the headstone, etc.

You're welcome. :)

 

I expected that each tag's CD would be different, but that wasn't my question. The point is, when you move the citation in a given tag from one source to the other, will you have to change the CD? If so, then you will have to manually access each citation. I they stay the same, you can just merge the sources.

 

But... as I think more about this, you don't actually have to create a new citation and delete the old one. Instead, open the citation, and change the source number. Of course, you still have to then delete the un-needed source. If you use the Merge button as I suggested before, you change the source number and delete the source in one operation.

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Yup. It's working, just a slow process, and using all of your suggestions. That's what I get for not reading the book and doing it right the first time.

But, as I mentioned, almost every one of the individuals I've accessed to correct the Source has had other issues as well, so it's giving me a chance to make several fixes.

I'm looking forward to trying to print out some kind of book with all this information. I'm sure that's when all the errors will become painfully obvious.

Thanks again for following up.

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