Repositories

sjschell

I am brand new to Zotero and am attempting to improve my citations. One thing that has always confused me concerns repositories. I am not sure which way to go. Do you cite the repository where you found the documentation or the repository that originally held it. For example, many of my documents were found on microfilms through the Family History Library. But they obtained the documents from some original repository. They always say that the main purpose of a citation is to make it possible for someone to go find the same document. But with that said, another purpose of citation is to show the quality of the source. So, do you cite both and if so, how does Zotero handle that? Thanks for any help and suggestions.

Eallynm

You should cite both the original record and the microfilm or online image. Please see either "Evidence Explained" by Elizabeth Shown Mills or "Mastering Genealogical Documentation" by Thomas W. Jones for details.
Unfortunately, Zotero does not handle the breadth of citation types needed for genealogical research. Please see Chapter 12 of "Zotero for Genealogy" by Donna Cox Baker for information on workarounds.

Eallynm

Clarification: You need not cite the repository for published works, but you do for unpublished works. Websites are not repositories in the same sense that archives, libraries, courthouses, etc. are repositories.