Source Citations: Punctuation Basics

Using Proper Punctuation in Genealogical Source Citations

Punctuation conventions such as italics, parentheses, quotations marks, semicolons, and colons add meaning to a citation and shouldn’t be used haphazardly.

Let’s review some essential punctuation rules to keep in mind when writing a genealogy source citation. Knowing and understanding these rules will add credibility and professionalism to your source citations. Additionally, knowing punctuation rules helps you make good decisions when crafting a reference note, therefore, simplifying the process.

Most U.S. genealogy professionals follow the humanities style of referencing sources. The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) covers punctuation rules for this referencing style. ¹ For foreign regions, follow known punctuation conventions for the area of research and the system used there. One of my favorite deep dives was learning about punctuation by reading and studying Chapter 5 of Mastering Genealogical Documentation by Thomas W. Jones. ²

Full Reference Note:

Most genealogical reports and projects use a full reference note also known as a “source citation” or a “footnote citation.” A reference note supports the facts or data addressed in a report or project. Full reference notes can also be shortened after being used previously in the report. See the footnote section at the bottom of this blog post for examples of a subsequently shortened citation. Details about structuring reference notes can be found in the CMOS.³

A full reference note or source citation is like a sentence:

• It begins with a capital
• It ends with a period
• Commas separate all elements
• Semicolons separate larger sections or a citation within a citation

Source List Entry:

A source list entry is used to create a “bibliography” or a “resource list” at the end of a book chapter, presentation syllabus, published article, etc. It documents the resources accessed to create the work. These citations are not used to cite specific facts or data within a report. ⁴ I view a resource list citation as a paragraph, with each element being a sentence ending with a period. Each “sentence” is then combined into a paragraph. See the resource list at the bottom of this blog post for examples.

Italics:

Italics denote the title of a published source.⁵

Examples: Publication titles of books, journals, and websites
Note: The newest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style states that websites that were not previously published in print material are not considered published works and are not italicized.⁶ I’ve talked to a few genealogists who feel this means websites shouldn’t be italicized in genealogical source citations. However, most professional genealogists, including those published in the NGSQ, are still italicizing websites. Therefore, I’m continuing to italicize websites in my source citations.⁷

“Quotation Marks” denote the named parts of a published work such as a chapter in a book, a database or collection at a website, an article in a journal, a page at a website, etc. ⁸

“Quotation Marks” are also used for titled, but unpublished material.⁹
Note: Use your own words, without italics or quotation marks, to describe a work that is untitled and unpublished, such as an untitled family group sheet, letter, interview, etc.

Parentheses:

(Parentheses) surround the word or phrase that refers to or restates the previous word or group of words.¹⁰ A comma is not inserted between the focus word or phrase and the opening parenthesis. Notice there is no comma between Ancestry.com and the opening parenthesis below.
Example:  Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 April 2022).

(Parentheses) also surround the year of a journal publication and can include the capitalized month or season or the exact date. The year/month/season in parentheses follow the volume and number of the journal. ¹¹
Example: Loretta Evans, “Finding Wesley Steward’s Family Through Land Records,” Crossroads 17:1 (Winter 2022), 12-17.

Commas, Colons & Semicolons:

• A comma (,) separates items in a series. Note that commas and other punctuation always reside inside of quotation marks, if present. Punctuation follows a closing parenthesis, such as a comma when the page number is listed after publication information.
• A colon (:) announces the word(s) or list that follows, connects the place of publication and the publisher, connects the volume and page number in a periodical or other work, and is used between the URL and the access date with one extra space before the colon.
• A semicolon (;) groups together related sections and separates them from the rest of the citation. In other words, a semicolon separates sub-elements in a citation, or it separates layered citations (a citation within a citation).

Citation Punctuation Example #1

This example of a published book citation demonstrates several punctuation rules:

• The citation begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.
• Notice that the word compilers is in parentheses to show the two people listed compiled the book. No comma is used between the names and the opening parenthesis.
• The title of the published work is in italics.
• Parentheses are also used around the publication information for this specific book to indicate that this information refers to this particular book. Again, there is no comma between the title of the book and the opening parenthesis.
• Commas separate the three major elements: the names of the compilers, the title of the publication, and the page number.
• In the publication information found within parentheses, the place of publication and the publisher are separated by a colon. The year of publication is separated by a comma.

Citation Punctuation Example #2

This example of a database citation demonstrates additional punctuation rules:

• The citation begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.
• The title of the database, part of the website, is within quotation marks.
• The comma after the database title is inside of the quotation marks.
• The title of the website, a published work, is in italics.
• Parentheses are used around the website access information to show it is referring to the Ancestry website. Notice there is no comma between the subject and the opening parenthesis.
• Commas are used between each element and between each entry detail.
• Semicolons separate the three sections of this citation: the source information, the access information, and the citing information.

Thanks for joining me to learn citation punctuation basics!

~Lisa Stokes, AG®

Resource List

1. Graham, Paul K. “Cite Anything: A Unified Approach to Crafting Citations.” APGQ 35:3 (September 2020), 10-17.
2. Jones, Thomas W. ​Mastering Genealogical Documentation. ​Arlington, Virginia: National Genealogical Society, 2017.
3. Mills, Elizabeth Shown. ​Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace​. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2015.
4. Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Historical Analysis, Citation & Source Usage. Website. https://www.evidenceexplained.com/index.php/.
5. University of Chicago Press. Chicago Manual of Style, 17^th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017.

Footnotes

1. University of Chigaco Press, Chicago Manual of Style, 17^th Edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017).
2. Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Documentation (Arlington, Virginia: National Genealogical Society, 2017), 49-62.
3. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Manual of Style, 751-752.
4. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Manual of Style, 751-752, 895.
5. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Manual of Style, 791, 845.
6. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Manual of Style, 791, 845.
7. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Manual of Style, 791, 845.
8. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Manual of Style, 791.
9. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Manual of Style, 851.
10. Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Documentation, 58.
11. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Manual of Style, 830.