Citing Your Sources in Genealogy: User Guide for Reliable Research

Discover why and how to cite your sources in genealogy. Ensure the reliability of your tree and share credible research.

When building your genealogical tree, every date, every place, and every name is based on information found somewhere: a parish register, a civil record, a census, an archives site… These documents are your genealogical sources.

Citing them is not optional: it's the basis for reliable and credible research. But why is it so important, and how do you properly mention them in your work?

The Good Reasons to Always Cite Your Sources

Citing your sources in genealogy is not just a formality. It has many advantages:

• Reliability and credibility : your data is based on verifiable evidence.

  
  

• Tangible evidence : they confirm life events (birth, marriage, death, profession, etc.).

  
  

• Verification and comparison : they allow you to cross-check your information.

  
  

• Precise chronology : they help place your ancestors in their life context.

  
  

• Accurate identification : they avoid confusion between people with the same name.

  
  

• Historical context : they provide insight into the society and era of your ancestors.

  
  

Citing your sources is therefore ensuring transparency in your research. It also allows other genealogists to reproduce, verify, or complete your work. Finally, it is a way to respect copyright and intellectual property rights associated with certain documents.

By citing your genealogical sources, you ensure a certain degree of transparency and credibility in your research. Additionally, you will allow other genealogists to reproduce your research, verify it, and validate it, while avoiding errors and confusion. Finally, citing sources respects copyright and intellectual property rights associated with the documents you use, if applicable.

How to Properly Cite Your Sources in Genealogy?

The most important thing when you want to cite your sources is to provide enough information to allow others to locate the original source.

Often, a source citation should include the name of the source, the author, the date, the location, and reference details (page number, registry number, etc.) 

Example: How to cite a departmental archives website?

• Indicate the departmental archives: « AD49 »
• Indicate the commune: « Angers »
• Indicate the type of registry: « EC » for Civil Status or « BMS » for parish registers, for example
• Indicate the registry shelf: « 165E/01 »
• Indicate the image number: « 5/165 »
• Add a permanent link or the « .ark » link that most archives sites provide. It is important to keep a permanent link rather than a regular link to the registry, as these may change more frequently, and you may not find the source page again.

Adding Sources to Your Tree on Geneafinder

To simplify this essential step, Geneafinder provides a free and unlimited source management tool. You can:

• Add as many sources as needed

• Include all details (shelf mark, commune, type of registry, etc.)

• Insert a permanent link

  
  

This way, your research is organized, verifiable, and well-documented.

👉 Sign up for free on Geneafinder, create or import your tree, and add as many sources as needed!