Which is the correct reference format?

Question

I've temporarily put 3 different birth detail formats and references on this profile: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Chesher-64

It's been quite a while since I worked on wikitree and I have new information to add to several profiles so I want to make sure I'm doing them correctly before I start.

Birth A is the way I'm used to doing it but today I've seen profiles in the format of both Birth B and C.

Is the first one no longer acceptable? Which of the second and 3rd is correct?

I know that if I'm adding a source from a paid website then I need to put every detail in the ref for people who can't see it on the original site but do we now have to do this for free sites as well?

Note: I have looked at the style help page but it didn't have an example that answered my question definitively.

Answer 1

Here's my preference (not an official requirement!):

(A) is too abbreviated--I haven't worked with Australian records and wouldn't understand it. 

(B) is much better--but why not include the link also?

I don't like putting the citation in the text.

Basically, Evidence Explained, which Help: Sources says is 'the ideal citation format' (ideal, not required!) says to include both a description of the record, and also where you found it (the name and URL of the web page for an on-line record). The key is giving enough information that other people can find the record, even if it's not available where you found it (because the URL changes, or the records move from one archive to another, or ....)

So, I'd probably combine your (A) and (B), and even add more information--the name of the archive that has the document, the name of the web page and the date I looked at it (in case the URL stops working but is available through the WayBack machine or something similar ....). But I'll stress that isn't required by WikiTree.

Comments

LIke Harry I would go for B. In this case the archive is the website, so the link is important. I would add one informative word - Index - after 'New South Wales Births, Deaths and Marriages – Birth'. This tells the reader that you haven't seen the original registration just the index.

Using format B allows the reader to partly evaluate the source without need to access it. For example, here I see that the parents middle names are not given in the source.

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Thank you, I've taken your advice and typed out the full address of the website and added the details from the record to the reference.

Answer 2

For Australian profiles, to get the recommended format for source citations I normally start from https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Australia,_Sources_and_Citation_Examples. Since the profile you linked was born in New South Wales, the format recommended by the Australia project for the birth citation is at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Sources_and_Citations_-_New_South_Wales#Birth,_Death,_Marriages.