Why bother?
Months from now you will find a birth date in your notes and have no idea who told you. Two sources will disagree and you will not know which to trust. A citation is the trail back to the record, so you, or anyone else, can check it.
What a good citation holds
Who made it?
The registrar, the enumerator, the newspaper, or the relative who told you.
What is it?
A certificate, a census page, a letter, an interview. Say what you actually held.
Where is it?
The archive, website or shelf, with the reference number or web address.
When did you see it?
Your date, because websites change and indexes get corrected.
Try it: choose a source
The names and dates below are made-up examples.
Written citation
Birth certificate of Mary Ann Fuller, born 4 March 1891, registered Tenterden district, Kent. Certified copy ordered 12 June 2026, General Register Office, reference [your reference].
Certified copies are original-based evidence. Note who gave the information, and when it was registered.
Three habits
- Cite before you move on, while the page is still open.
- Record what you saw, not what you assume it means. Keep the original spelling.
- Note searches that found nothing. They stop you repeating them.