Source Clipboard
The Source Clipboard is a Legacy feature that tremendously increases the efficiency with which you document the sources of the information you enter into your Family File. The Source Clipboard holds a copy of up to five source citations you are currently working from. You can then record the sources of each piece of information by simply clicking one button.
You can set or change the master source citations by clicking the Set button on each of the five tabs. The clipboard also holds the detailed information about where in each source the current information is coming from. This is usually a page number, microfilm item number, etc. The actual source text being cited can be entered in the large text box below the detail field. You can also set the Surety Level for each source information. This reflects your confidence in the accuracy of the information.
You can choose to not have one or more of the source details added to the end of the master sources when printed on a report. To make this change, uncheck the Add this Detail to Source Citation on Reports box on each of the tabs. To exclude a source citation from printing the end of reports, uncheck the Include this Citation on reports box. To include the actual source text in citations printed on reports, check the Add this Text to the Source Citation on Reports box. If you want to be prompted for the Source Detail each time you use the clipboard, leave the Current Source Detail field blank and check the Prompt if Blank box to the right of it. This is a convenient way to cite sources that are on many different pages of a document.
When you have entered the current source information, click OK to return to the entry form.
Remember, you can place up to five source citations on the Source Clipboard at once. When you have it set up the way you want you can also save up to ten different variations for later use.
An example will help to illustrate the value of this feature:
You have just been to the local library and found a book that contains a lot of information about your ancestors. Page 211 of the book contains the following:
James Michael Martin Sr. was born on the 23rd of December, 1762 in Hackensack, New Jersey. On the 16 of May, 1784, Jim married Sarah Rebecca Gilbert somewhere in rural Bergen County, New Jersey and they had the following children:
1. James Michael Martin Jr. Born 30 Apr 1785 in Hackensack. He married Ida Fredricks, daughter of Henry R. Fredricks and Millie Andrews, on 25 Dec 1806. Jim Jr. died in 1838 in New York, NY.
2. Sarah Martin Born 22 Jun 1786 in Hackensack, NJ. Died young and was buried in Hackensack.
3. Rebecca Martin Born 8 Sep 1788. Married William Demarest in about 1807. They had six children. Becky died 15 Oct 1867 and was buried in Ohio.
As you enter the information for each person on this page, you should record the source of the information. Let's go through the steps:
1. Start by entering the information for James Michael Martin Sr. on the Information form.
2. When you have finished, and before you press Save, you should set up the Source Clipboard with the source information. Press the blue triangle button.
3. We must first make an entry in the Master Source List about the book we are using. Press the Set... button to bring up the Master Source List window.
4. Press the Add button to display the Define a New Source window.
5. Enter the source information. For example:
- Name: Martin Descendants
- Title: The Descendants of Joshua Joseph Martin, 1693 - 1889
- Author: Mary Martin Redding
- Publ. Facts: Published by Mary Martin Redding in 1958 in Dayton, OH. Spiral bound book in possession of Carrie Redding Thompson, in Dallas, TX
6. Save the master source and select it for use in the Source Clipboard.
7. Press the Tab key to move to the Current Source Detail text box and type: Pg. 211.
8. Set the Surety Level to reflect your confidence in the accuracy of this information.
9. Press the OK button to close the Source Clipboard and return to the Information screen.
Now you are ready to assign the source citation to the information you have entered for James Michael Martin Sr. You have three choices:
You can place the cursor in the Given name field and press the blue dash button to assign the source to that piece of information. Then click on the Birth field and press the blue dash button again, continuing to each field on the window to assign the source.
Or, you can press the blue triple-dash button to have Legacy automatically assign the source to every field on the Information form that is not blank.
Or, you can press the blue square button and have the source assigned to the Unspecified category for this person.
Option 2 is generally the best and fastest method to use when entering information for an individual for the first time.
Option 1 is used when you return to add a newly found piece of information to an individual at a later time and want to assign a different source citation to that entry specifically.
Option 3 is used if you are not interested in keeping specific source information for each type of event for an individual but just want to record the source in one place.