Laura, I have benefitted greatly from that page - THANKS to you and the "number of folks" who created it! One of the pages it links to, Sourcing Primer - Instructional (wikitree.com) is also very helpful - although at least one of the sceenshots seems to include the <span> tags, about which I have seen various opinions. I really like the explanation and examples ranging from "almost worthless" to "targeted great sourcing", KUDOS all around!
I think that, even for a "newbie", it is great to know about the "targeted" or "near-perfect" goals, whether in-line referenced citations or an Abraham Lincoln-like profile - as long as it is made clear that no one really expects that from the very first profile, and that tools and easier, but acceptable, alternatives also exist.
The biggest problem I see with sourcing - and probably the root cause for many of those "sources" like "found it on Ancestry.com" - is that blank space in the profile creation form which suddenly says "you can't continue unless you write something NOW", then takes whatever random text is entered and automatically puts it under == SOURCES == in the newly created profile. To me, as a newt, that seemed really wierd. First WikiTree insisted on "a source", then it automatically accepted whatever I wrote (as long as it was "long enough") and put it in a very "officiall-looking" place on an otherwise blank profile. It seemed that all the guidelines and standards were paper tigers, after all.
The worst part was (is) that I still find it very annoying to be forced to put something in that empty box. I often have multiple sources for new profiles, which I have carefully researched and collected in open space pages before starting the "add profile" process. I don't want ANY of them to show up under == SOURCES ==, because I want to use in-line references at the appropriate place in the bio.
To "make it easier for new members", I think it might make sense to review the process we actually expect someone to take when they add their first profiles. The process may need to be different for newbies with different interests and backgrounds, but perhaps an example would help. The process I have in mind might look something like this:
Edited 2023-09-23 15:00 to include Laura's comment (h) and a great tip from Jim Richardson about adjusting the settings (f) so entire biography can be entered in the mandatory text box.
a) Create a "sandbox" Before you actually add your first profile, you might want to create an open space page of your own - this will let you collect examples and notes, and experiment with various ideas you find on WikiTree - in your own personal "safe" space. It isn't necessary (you can jump right in - you can't really break anything!) - but many new members have found "sandbox" pages to be helpful - especially when first starting out.
b) Look at some "examples" of profiles in the Bio Creation Helper - pick one that looks good to you and either copy it to your "sandbox" or open it in a separate tab so you have it available. You might also want to look at style guidelines and try out some of the mysterious "mark-up" tags. Your "sandbox" is a great place to try things out - if you have any questions, the G2G community is happy to help!
c) Think about the "sources" you have for information about the person whose profile you want to add. You will need to state your "source" in order to create any new profile. Look at some "example" citations and templates. Again, you can copy these to your "sandbox", fill in the blanks to fit your information source, and see how they will look on the profile. If you build the citation the way you want it here in the "sandbox", you can easily copy it to "real" profiles later.
d) Now you're ready to add a new profile to our single common "tree". If the person you want to add is related to an existing profile, there is a useful shortcut: You might want to start with your own profile, and add a new one for a parent or sibling. Simply open your profile, click on "add father", "add mother" or "add sibling", and proceed to enter the available information. If you think the new profile is unrelated to any existing profile, you can add it using the "add" menu.
e) Be careful with the "Last Name at Birth" (LNAB), because that field is a bit difficult to change later. Be aware that, especially for "older" and "foreign" profiles (pre-1700, pre-1500), there may be special rules established by the relevant "project" leaders to help us avoid creating duplicate profiles on our common tree. The goal at WikiTree is to have exactly ONE profile for any given individual, so the next step will help you check for duplicates before you add your new profile.
f) Enter the source of your information in the text box (mandatory). If you have already prepared that in your "sandbox" you can use "copy and paste". Otherwise, enter at least one of your sources here, the way you would like it to be cited. You may want to note that, if you decide to prepare things in your "sandbox", it is possible to adjust the settings so that you can cut-and-paste an entire biography (with source citations) at this point.
g) Build the Biography. The new profile will have a blank Biography. You can build your own structure "from scratch" or copy and paste an example biography you like (or one from your "sandbox") to speed up the process.
h) Check the source citations. The source(s) you entered when you created the profile will appear under == SOURCES ==. Check that they appear the way you want (check style guidelines, compare with other examples, or ask in G2G if you're not sure). The easiest way to add inline citation is to click the C at top of bio box - that creates the inline code. You can type in the source info or paste in a citation you have previously copied - from below the == SOURCES == heading or from sites like Family Search.
i) Celebrate! You did it! Remember that all of us at WikiTree, from the most experienced "Astronaut" to the newest "Newt", are volunteers working together on a single family tree. No matter how far from "perfect" your new profile may seem to you, we all appreciate the time and effort you have invested to add it to our common tree. So thank you!
j) Collaborate. As time goes by, other WikiTree users may make suggestions and/or work on profiles you have created - just as you will be encouraged to help improve profiles created by others (that is especially fun when done together in WikiTree "-thons"). Feel free to re-visit your profiles at any time to add new information, new sources, or new features like pictures, tables, etc (the possibilities seem endless!). If you have questions, remember that the G2G community is always happy to help!
