How to refer to an exhibit in a citation

[kwlyon 0]

There must be an easy way to do this, but I'm pulling what hair I have left out trying to find it.

 

1. I put some information (say a scan of a birth certificate) in as an exhibit.

2. Now, I add a birth tag to the person on that birth certificate and want to indicate somehow that that birth certificate is the source of the birth info.

 

a. I tried clicking on the little camera that takes me to the exhibit log. That seems like the most obvious thing to do. I find the exhibit and select it and now what? If I click on add, it takes me to the exhibit folder, which is crazy, apparently that's not how I add this exhibit to that tag. None of the other things I can click on in that window seems to have the effect of adding that exhibit to that citation.

b. So I click on the + sign to add a citation, and now what? I see no place to specify that exhibit! All I seem to be able to add is a source. But when I do that, I can't seem to find a way to say that my source is that exhibit!

 

Arghhhhh!

 

This has to be one of the most common ways to document a tag, so there must be an obvous way to do it, but I sure can't see it, and I 've read help screens until I'm red in the face.

 

Ken

[kwlyon 0]

Still trying to figure out how to say that an exhibit contains information that documents the data I put in a tag.

 

It looks like citations can only refer to sources.

 

So, how can I get a source to refer to an exhibit? Reading "Source Definition: General", I see "If a Research Task or Exhibit has been attached to a source, the Research Log and Exhibit Log icons will glow green on the Source Definition screen." That's great, but how do I attach an exhibit to a source?

 

Under help for "add exnibit" I see "If an exhibit has been attached to a person, event, source, or repository, the Exhibit Log icon will glow green on the Person View, Tag Entry screen, Source Definition screen, or Repository Entry screen, respectively." But I dont' see any instructions on how to attach an exhibit to a source (or anything else for that matter).

 

Under "Person View" I see "If an Exhibit has been attached to a person, the Exhibit Log tool button, under the TMG menu, will glow green. Lookup: Exhibit Log" but no instructions on how to make this happen.

 

So I'll check out Exhibit Log like it tells me to.

 

Under "Exhibit Log" I see "An exhibit may be attached to any person, event, source, or repository. You may also have a general exhibit that is not attached to any record." But no instructons on how to attach an exhibit to anything.

 

I did find instructions on how to link a Source to a Repository in "Source Defniition: Attachments" . But nothing on how to link an Exhibit to a Repository. And even if I could, that seems like a long string of links simply to say that something in an exhibit documents the data in a tag.

 

This has got to be easy.... doens't it?

 

Ken

[elevator 0]

The easiest way is to add an exhibit to the source itself (not the citation). To do this:

1. Open the Master Source List (Tools->Master Source List)

2. Add a new source (or edit an exisiting one)

3. Click on the little camera in the upper right hand corner of the dialog (this will open the exhibit log)

4. Click on the button marked "Add"

5. A file picker dialog will open, navigate this to your exhibit, select the exhibit and click open.

6. You can then right click on the exhibit and choose "Properties" to edit data about the exhibit

7. Close the Master Source List

8. On the Detail screen under the person tab, open the tag you want to add a citation to

9. Click on the plus button under citations to add a new citation

10. Choose your newly edited (or added) source to cite.

 

Hope this helps. Ken.

[Michael Hannah 0]

This has got to be easy.... doesn't it?

Hi Ken,

 

Yep it is, but the real issue is understanding the concepts around the bits and parts of TMG and what they mean. I recommend viewing Terry Reigel's Tutorials and Articles on using TMG as an introduction, especially his basic concepts. However, let me try explaining a concept that I think is bothering you...

 

I think you are caught in the issue that you are smarter than your computer and have more knowledge than it has . All that TMG knows about an exhibit is that it is a computer file of "stuff" which could be anything. You know that this is the image that is a scan of your source for information. I think you are trying to figure out how to tell TMG what you know about that exhibit, when you should simply be telling TMG about the source itself. Perhaps it would help to approach it from a different viewpoint. TMG wants to store your genealogy data in a manner than can ultimately produce various reports. At best an exhibit can be printed out "as is" and if it is an image it might also have a caption, but that does not help TMG know what information is inside the exhibit in a way to produce meaningful reports. Sources are intended to be cited to various data that is entered with TMG tags, and to produce footnotes and bibliographies. But TMG needs the source fields (like title, author, dates, etc.) entered so that TMG can manipulate them appropriately for report output. That is what the TMG source record is for, plus the citations to a source. An exhibit kind of "just sits there" on your computer, as far as TMG is concerned.

Still trying to figure out how to say that an exhibit contains information that documents the data I put in a tag

But in reality it doesn't, which is why you are having trouble telling TMG that it does. You were very correct to come to the conclusion that you needed a TMG source record, but not in wanting the source to refer to your computer file exhibit. In your example (a scan of a birth certificate) the scan is not the source, it is simply a digital image copy of the certificate. The document is the source, which is why the TMG source record would be filled in with the data referring to the certificate, not the exhibit. At best the scan in the computer file simply proves you had your hands on the source (the certificate) at one point in time, and allows others to view that scan as an alternative to having to get their hands on and view the actual source. Think if it in terms that an exhibit is totally optional (you don't need to actually have a scan to record the information), but the source record referring to the certificate is required to document the source. Continuing with this example, your TMG Birth tag where you entered the place and date of the birth should cite the TMG source, which should refer to the certificate itself, not the exhibit scan which is just a computer file copy.

 

One of the nice features of TMG is the ability to link computer file exhibits, such as scans like yours, to various elements of TMG to help you quickly access them. Further these exhibits can be chosen to print out to enhance reports. And elevator has described how to make a link from your computer file that is the scanned image to the TMG source record. But such linkages are just aids to get to your computer data. The real source linkages are done by the citations to TMG source records that have the data that identifies the actual sources: the real documents, certificates, books, etc.

 

Not sure if this helps or makes things less clear , but ask more questions and maybe someone else can make it clearer.