Should I copyedit source notes?

[thomprod]

I have many Email sources and often copy the pertinent original text from the email into the Notes section for the person referenced in Reunion. I've always just copied and pasted without editing the original, but now that I have started using the Book feature, it seems disrespectful to the person who sent me the email to publish the verbatim notes if they contain typos, odd abbreviations and grammatical errors. How do other Reunion users handle this? Should I copyedit the original text to make a note, and if so, should I make some indication that this is not a direct quote?

[Kim]

Re: Should I copyedit source notes?

I have many Email sources and often copy the pertinent original text from the email into the Notes section for the person referenced in Reunion. I've always just copied and pasted without editing the original, but now that I have started using the Book feature, it seems disrespectful to the person who sent me the email to publish the verbatim notes if they contain typos, odd abbreviations and grammatical errors. How do other Reunion users handle this? Should I copyedit the original text to make a note, and if so, should I make some indication that this is not a direct quote?

I've also wondered about this. I'm torn because it seems right to quote the source as given, but I also feel bad about including obvious typos and grammatical errors.

[Blaise A. Darveaux]

Re: Should I copyedit source notes?

Here is how I handle emails. After reading it and determining that there is useful information that I want to record in it, I print it as a PDF to my desktop. Then in Reunion I make a new source using Email as the source type. I enter the name of the sender, the date, etc. in the fields for the new source. I note the number of the source -- lets say it is 395 -- then I go to the desktop, rename the PDF "Src 395 - Name of sender" and drag this file to my folder titled "Digital Sources". Then I attach this file as a multimedia item to source 395 and close the source windows. Finally, I enter the data into Reunion using the number of the source to cite where I got the information making the original source document just a couple clicks away.

[thomprod]

Re: Should I copyedit source notes?

Here is how I handle emails. After reading it and determining that there is useful information that I want to record in it, I print it as a PDF to my desktop. Then in Reunion I make a new source using Email as the source type. I enter the name of the sender, the date, etc. in the fields for the new source. I note the number of the source -- lets say it is 395 -- then I go to the desktop, rename the PDF "Src 395 - Name of sender" and drag this file to my folder titled "Digital Sources". Then I attach this file as a multimedia item to source 395 and close the source windows. Finally, I enter the data into Reunion using the number of the source to cite where I got the information making the original source document just a couple clicks away.

Well done, Blaise. This is a good process for the computer-savvy person who maintains the database using Reunion. But since I'm publishing a Reunion Book intended to be read by people in the Tree who won't have access to the Reunion program, I currently include the email text as a note which appears under the associated person's dates in the Book. My question is an ethical one: If I am attributing source information to an email message, can I paraphrase or copy edit that message in order to clean up the text that will be seen in the note?