Sourcerers Challenge (October 2021)

+34 votes
3.7k views

Hello, Sourcerers! It is time to start sourcing! Prior month Owl Stickers and Sourcerers Badges will be posted soon.

To participate:

  • Review the Rules
  • If you are new to the Sourcerers' Challenge, click the "Answer this post" button (not the comment link) and tell us you are participating

You only need to answer this month's post if you don't already have the Sourcerers' Badge. You are welcome to add an answer to ask questions or offer encouragement.

If you have a problem with the Tracker let us know by using the comment link to the question that opened this thread. 

USING THE TRACKER

The tracker should only be used when the profile meets the Monthly Challenge definition of Unsourced (see the Rules). Add a comment to the question if you are unsure if something counts as Unsourced. You can use either the Unsourced Profile Category or the DBE Report for Unsourced profiles to find profiles that will definitely qualify. The Orphaned profiles category is another great place to look for unsourced profiles. 

After you save an edit, a green banner appears at the top of the profile edit page with a dark “button” labeled Challenge Tracker is a link to the Tracker page. Click the link and, on the page that comes up, select Sourcerers challenge and click the appropriate hint in the right column (or fill in your own if none of the canned answers fit what you did). Click Add Action and you are finished. The Tracker records the number of profiles to which you have added sources. You can see the results for any monthly challenge using this link. The current month is at the bottom

http://wikitree.sdms.si/Challenges/SourcerersChallenge/default.htm

Remember, your sources need to be as full and specific as possible, so others find them useful. That means, if the source is online, you should link to it. If it is a page from a book, the page number should be included so others can easily see where you found the reference. Some books and magazines have free-space profiles to help with citation formats. Find them in the Source Category. If the book does not have a free-space profile, consider adding the WorldCat permalink to help others find the book.

When you can, it is great to do a bit more while adding sources, like clean up the GEDCOM leftovers or help the formatting from older profiles. Sources are important, but if you cannot find them among all the other stuff, they are not helping as much as they could.

If you attempt to add sources to a profile and cannot find any, please add a note under a == Research Notes == section (click the link for examples and instructions on placement) giving where you tried to find records. Something like "Looked for John in the US Census records for 1900-1940 and could not find him on FamilySearch or Ancestry" would be fine. Or, "Searched google for an obituary and did not find one." That way the next researcher knows where to start. Do not remove the Unsourced Template and do not use the tracker to count in your tally.

The Monthly Challenge runs from the first of the month and ends on the last day of the month, GMT time. 

The Current Challenge Tracker Results Page has up-to-the-minute stats for those of you using the Challenge Tracker.

http://wikitree.sdms.si/Challenges/SourcerersChallenge/20211001/User.htm

Ask any questions here in the thread, otherwise, SOURCE!

in The Tree House by Debi Hoag G2G6 Pilot (408k points)
edited by Debi Hoag
Although the directions at the top of the page for https://www.softdata.si/wt/Unsourced_20211003/OH/2_1800-1899_0.htm (Unsourced, Ohio) say to set or change the status button on any record that you've sourced, there is no "status button" column on these records to set or change? I did use the "Challenges" at the top of the profile to log the change on https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Schlottman-41, but am wondering why I don't have a status button column?
Carole, I think I saw this answered on the #sourcerers_challenge channel over on Discord. If I'm wrong or if you haven't seen it, let me know and I'll track it down.
This jus  quick note to all of you.   Just a reminder that the purpose of this challenge is to get at least one good source on any unsourced or only internet tree used as a source profile.   You don't  get credit for adding sources to already sourced profiles unless the only thing listed as a source is personal knowledge with no explanation of why you have that knowledge  or in internet tree.    We do monitor owl lwvel participation and I am seeing a number of profiles that had a source like a census adding more sources which while it does make for a more completely sourced profile it does not count as adding a source to an unsourced profile.   I learn about some great sources everytime I do an audit for the owls.   You are an awesome group with lots of knowlege and great attention to detail.  Thank you all for what you do each month!

58 Answers

+9 votes
Please count me in again, Debi. Thanks.
by Robin Shaules G2G Astronaut (1.5m points)
reshown by Robin Shaules
Thanks, Robin. Always happy to have you join us.
+16 votes
Put me down again please for October
by Elaine Mattsen G2G6 Mach 5 (59.3k points)
Thanks for joining us again this month, Elaine
+15 votes
Yes, I will do another month
by Gary Nevius G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
Thanks for joining us for the Sourcerers Challenge, Gary.

I have verified that you have added a reliable source to a qualified profile. We will award your badge after the November stats are processed. Let us know in a comment here if you have any questions.

I noticed that you are using reliable Ancestry sources (which is great) but surrounding the URL in square brackets making it appear as a number in the source list. That can get confusing when the inline citation number and the source link number aren't the same. Take a look at the Links to Ancestry FAQ to learn about the preferred method of adding the links. 

Thank you in the preferred  Ancestry linkage. Navigating the G2G has it own challenge. But after finding the infomation it builds an arsenal of resources.smiley

+13 votes
Sign me up too
by Michelle Wilkes G2G6 Pilot (172k points)
Thanks for joining us, Michelle
+15 votes
Add me please!
by Liz Amos G2G6 (6.7k points)
Glad to have you join us again this month, Liz.
+15 votes
Please sign me up
by Denise Miller G2G2 (3.0k points)
Thanks, Denise, we've got you.
+14 votes
Sitting out again.  Please feel free to remove my Sourcerer badge.
by Living Tardy G2G6 Pilot (771k points)
Herb hope you can help next month.  Leaving badge in place. You earned it with past performance
Absolutely agree with what Laura said, Herb. The badge once earned is yours for life, whether you track sources added in a month or not. We know you're out there doing good work.
+14 votes
I will help again!
by Teresa Davis G2G6 Mach 6 (63.5k points)
Great to have you with us again, Teresa.
+14 votes
Sign me up for October! Thanks!
by Carol Baldwin G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
Great to have you with us again, Carol
Thanks much, Debi!
+15 votes
Will definitely be participating again in October!
by Sara Palmeter G2G6 Mach 2 (21.9k points)
Thanks, Sara, it's great to have you with us again
+15 votes
Count me in
by Charles Forster G2G1 (1.8k points)
Thanks for joining us again this month, Charles
+15 votes
In for a few
by Jesse Beamon G2G6 Mach 4 (45.5k points)
Thanks, Jess, for doing some more this month.
+15 votes
I'll try to find some
by Christine Frost G2G6 Pilot (155k points)
Great to have you with us again, Christine
+15 votes
Good morning. I found a mess in a family while working on the Source-a-thon, so I'm going to work on them now.  Please add me to the sourcerers challenge for October 2021.
by Leslie Bell G2G6 Mach 2 (23.8k points)
Thanks for continuing to work on that mess, Leslie. Let us know if you have any questions.

I have verified that you have added a reliable source to a qualified profile. We will award your badge after the November stats are processed. Let us know in a comment here if you have any questions.

I noticed that you are adding links by surrounding the URL in square brackets making it appear as a number in the source list. That can get confusing when the inline citation number and the source link number aren't the same. Take a look at the FAQs for links to Ancestry and FindAGrave to learn about the preferred method of adding the links. 

+15 votes
Late for the party, but I'm in!

I just can't stop sourcing...
by Lori Zukerman G2G6 Pilot (153k points)
Thanks, Lori, but I've got to ask ... how hard did you try? *grin*
Ah, you got me! lol I pretty much went from the Source-a-thon to the Challenge. Did I mention I really enjoy sourcing?
+12 votes
Sign me up.
by U Swanson G2G6 (7.8k points)
Welcome to the Sourcerers' Challenge, U. I've got you signed up and have verified that you have added a reliable sourced to a qualified profile. We will award your badge after the November stats are processed. Let us know in a comment here if you have any questions
+14 votes
Just finished the source a thon and I enjoyed it. Count me in!
by Paul Harwood G2G6 (7.2k points)
Welcome to the Sourcerers' Challenge, Paul. I've got you signed up and have verified that you have added a reliable source to a qualified profile. We will award your badge after the November stats are processed. Let us know in a comment here if you have any questions
+12 votes
Include me for this month. I am not sure how many I will get done.
by Hilary Gadsby G2G6 Pilot (321k points)
Good to have you with us again, Hilary. Every one that you are able to do improves the tree, so thank you!
+12 votes
I will be participating!
by Melanie McComb G2G6 Mach 5 (57.6k points)
Welcome to the Sourcerers' Challenge, Melanie. I've got you signed up and have verified that you have added a reliable source to a qualified profile. We will award your badge after the November stats are processed. Let us know in a comment here if you have any questions
+13 votes
If a source lists a link to a paywall...
by Elizabeth Steen G2G6 Mach 1 (13.8k points)
it is still a valid source IF the link and/or page visited provides enough detail to confirm that it is for that person and fact. We would love you to improve the profile by adding a non-paywalled version of the source but please don't use the Challenge Tracker for that one.

I've got you signed up and have verified that you have added a reliable source to a qualified profile. We will award your badge after the November stats are processed. Let us know in a comment here if you have any more questions

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