A source is the material you used to learn about your family: a book, certificate, database, letter, interview, or another item. In RootsMagic, Master Source holds information about that material, such as a book's author and title. A citation adds the page or particular record where you found the information.

Add a source in RM12

On the main Sources page, choose Add > Add using SourceWizard for guided entry, or Add > Add new source manually to select a source type yourself. Both routes let you enter a source and citation together. See SourceWizard and Adding a source.

When documenting a particular fact, begin with that fact's Sources list in Edit Person. This links the completed citation to the selected fact. A source entered only on the main Sources page does not by itself document a person in the tree.

Source names and printed titles

Source Name is a filing label used in RootsMagic lists. The title and other bibliographic fields are the information used in the formatted citation. Renaming the filing label does not correct a misspelled title in a footnote; correct the title field as well when necessary.

Use a source name that distinguishes similar materials. For example, include enough of a book's title, author, or edition to recognize which version you consulted. Avoid using a person's name alone for a source containing many people.

What happens when you correct a source

If you correct a book title, the correction appears in every citation of that book. Put page numbers in Citation Details so each citation can refer to the page you used. See Editing a source for corrections. Open the source's Used list to see which people and facts cite it.

See Citations, Source List, and Using Sources and Citations.