Citation style guides describe how to identify the records used in research. RootsMagic templates help arrange the information you enter, but you must still choose a suitable source type and record enough detail for another researcher to locate the item.

The 18 built-in templates in RootsMagic 12 are based on Evidence Explained, 4th edition. Templates carried forward from older trees may reference earlier editions or other guides, including Evidence!, Cite Your Sources, and QuickSheet models. Their presence in an upgraded tree does not mean that all are new RM12 templates.

Apply a style consistently

Describe the item you actually consulted, including an online image or transcription when that is what you used. Choose a template by the kind of material, not simply by the fact it supports: a birth date can appear in many different record types.

After entry, read all three formatted outputs: footnote, short footnote, and bibliography. Check authors or creators, titles, dates, publication or repository details, and the citation's specific item. A formatted preview cannot determine whether the underlying information is accurate or complete.

See Adding a source for the selection wizard, Source templates for template management, and Source template converter before changing an existing source's format.