The following post was originally published on this blog 17 Sep 2019 and is still important today.
To be the best genealogist possible, there are several research guidelines and rules we should follow. To disregard them shows we either do not know how to properly do research or we do not care. The following rules are among those most often disregarded.
1. Genealogists are taught that every fact not within common knowledge must be substantiated with a source. Using proper source citations demonstrates your knowledge of what constitutes proof for each fact and where it can be found. Not citing your sources is asking people to read your mind to learn where you found your material. I don't know anyone who has that ability.
2. "Borrowing" material from other genealogists without giving them credit is not acceptable - anytime. This applies to family group sheets prepared by others, family trees on Ancestry.com, photographs taken by another person, family histories written for family reunions and, yes, blog posts. The rule of thumb is this: If you didn't write it, it isn't yours and you should not use it without permission. If permission is given, be sure to give credit to the person who did write it.
There are many rules in genealogy, but the two listed above are ones that are consistently disregarded. Be a responsible genealogist, cite your sources and give credit to others for their work.
Published again 6 Oct 2022, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog.
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