Notes to avoid using templates in favor of complete citations, in some cases [closed]

Question

Should there be some note like "It's best to avoid using these templates in favor of complete citations..."

For example, a note on the FamilySearch template might be helpful.

Comments

Good point, Andy. The ideal is to use both: a full citation including the template. That way all information is presented, and the main purpose of the template is fulfilled, namely to allow easy updating if the format of the URL link changes in the future.

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both? You mean something like:

<ref>"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHJ4-ZY4 : 16 August 2021), Nathan Ingersoll in entry for Pally Perry, 17 Jan 1812; citing Marriage, Lee, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007538309.</ref>

And then include {{FamilySearch Record|FHJ4-ZY4}} right before the closing ref tag? Or add it as a separate ref?

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I believe that we are not required to use external link templates at all, Andy. But if one chooses to use them, one can place them wherever one likes in the relevant citation.

I generally don't use these templates myself, but if I did, I would place them at the end of the relevant citation. Many other WikiTreers choose to replace the regular link with the template or to place the templates at the beginning of a citation.

I recommend that you choose one style and stick with it on profiles you manage and on orphan profiles that you edit. For profiles managed by others, you should follow the style that the other managers have chosen.

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Andy, that's the general idea, but I would do it as follows, omitting the URL which is now supplied by the template, and instead including more details from the record:

<ref>"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, {{FamilySearch Record|FHJ4-ZY4}} (16 August 2021), Nathan Ingersoll in entry for Pally Perry, 17 Jan 1812; citing Marriage, Lee, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007538309. Name: Pally Perry. Spouse: Nathan Ingersoll. Married 17 January 1812 at Lee, Berkshire, Massachusetts. Page: 155. Accessed 11 August 2023.</ref>

Other people use different approaches.

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I usually try and replace the long URLs with the template, that way if FS change the structure again, then it only requires the template to be updated, and not thousands of profiles.

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Thanks, everyone!

Answer 1

There is already a general note about not using a template as a replacement for a full citation, although the note is not in a particularly prominent location so many people may not be aware of it. According to https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Link_Templates#Not_recommended_as_sources, "Link templates are not intended to replace full source citations. The short, simple link created by a link template never creates a complete source citation that meets the ideal requirements of the Chicago Manual of Style or "Evidence Explained"."

Maybe a link to that help page should be added to the individual documentation for each link template.

Comments

Yes, External Link Templates are approved only for assistance in creating external links, particularly to create links that can be updated quickly when a site like Ancestry or Findagrave changes its URL formats.

Additional messaging about this is an excellent idea, but I wonder whether it wiil be seen. Do members visit and read the template documentation pages before applying these templates?

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Do members visit and read the template documentation pages before applying these templates?

Yes, I did. I think I landed there first when searching for citing FS links.