Understand concepts "sources" "templates" "citations" but cannot apply

[Vermillion52]

I have spent many hours trying to apply source citations to my records. I don't understand the disconnect between Sources in Preferences and Sources from the left hand side. For example, I use the source "Monument in Cemetery" from Preferences, then from the side bar the sources are St. George's Cemetery or St. Mary's Cemetery etc, each with its own number; where do these intersect? Why even bother with a Preference source template when I could record and standardize my sources without it. Dare I admit I was a professional cataloger in an academic library for 12 years and the concepts of creating and using templates was an everyday thing. My frustration with Reunion 13 is both embarrassing and incomprehensible. Please help.

[Deb]

I don't understand the disconnect between Sources in Preferences and Sources from the left hand side.

All source templates (or types) that were predefined (or those that you have defined) in Source Preferences can be accessed using the "+" (Add Source) menu at the bottom of the Sources sidebar on the right...

Screen Shot 2021-04-20 at 10.32.40 AM.png

So, if you are able to access the template (or type of source) you want from that Add Source menu, there is no need to go into the Source Preferences window.

Each template (or type) can be used multiple times and will appear in the Sources sidebar on the right along with some of the text added for that particular source...
Screen Shot 2021-04-20 at 11.18.45 AM.png

I hope you find this information helpful in clarifying how they are connected

[Vermillion52]

Thank you for your reply. and I like the tip of being able to access 'preference' sources with the plus sign. Regrettably I do not recall how I created the sources for the various cemeteries which display exactly how I want; [it is obvious that when burial is clicked, the citation, "St. Denis Cemetery etc.' displays leaving no doubt where the person is] The problem I now face is that in order to get the same results with my source "Massachusetts Death records" when I click on Event, Death to apply the source record for the location of the death, what appears in the source list of options is only a citation with the name of the town & media, Uxbridge, photocopy, NOT prefaced with 'Mass. death records" and without that, the source is meaningless. This is why I used the expression 'linking' that is, keeping the template name with the citation. Also when I select sources from the sidebar on the left, on the right side the list of sources is displayed and the list of Templates shows 'Monument in cemetery' with the name of the cemetery under Data. Mass. death looks just like one of those templates but when I use it on a record but only Uxbridge, photocopy displays. What am I doing wrong?

[Deb]

Thank you for your reply. and I like the tip of being able to access 'preference' sources with the plus sign. Regrettably I do not recall how I created the sources for the various cemeteries which display exactly how I want; [it is obvious that when burial is clicked, the citation, "St. Denis Cemetery etc.' displays leaving no doubt where the person is] The problem I now face is that in order to get the same results with my source "Massachusetts Death records" when I click on Event, Death to apply the source record for the location of the death, what appears in the source list of options is only a citation with the name of the town & media, Uxbridge, photocopy, NOT prefaced with 'Mass. death records" and without that, the source is meaningless...What am I doing wrong?

It sounds like the templates are too specific. Templates are intended to be general, like those that were pre-defined in Reunion: Vital Record, Web Site, Book, Periodical, etc.

In order to see "Massachusetts Death records" appear in the Citations area for the Death field, the text "Massachusetts Death records" should appear within the source. Here are a couple suggestions on how to move forward:

1. Continue using the same template and add a Title field (or some other more appropriate field) as the first field in the Structured fields section of the source window. Then, add the text "Massachusetts Death records" in that field.

2. Or, change the name of that template to a name that's more general: Death records. Afterward, add a Title field (or some other more appropriate field) as the first field in the Structured fields section of the source window. Then, add the text "Massachusetts Death records" in that field.

I hope you find this suggestion helpful in moving forward with the source mentioned and in customizing the other sources so the text you want appears in the Citations area of the Edit Person panel