Digitally delivered image from The National Archives [TNA}

By History-Hunter on Fri, 07/28/2023 - 04:23

Forums

In 2020, I purchased an image from The National Archives. The images were indexed online, but only available for purchase and digital delivery. Now, I'm wondering if I cited it in a reasonable manner.

Army Medal Office, Medal card of Bellini (Guido), regimental no. WR 343695, Pioneer [rank], Royal Engineers [Corps]; imaged in “British Army medal index cards 1914-1920”, The National Archives [TNA] (https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-medal-index-cards-1914-1920 : digital delivery 24 April 2020); citing reference WO 372/2/92008, TNA, Kew, London, England.

 

Submitted byEEon Fri, 07/28/2023 - 08:53

History-Hunter, we have a problem. Two of them, actually:

1.

The link you give above does not lead to an image. It's a search page for the collection. Using the details from your Layer 1 as search terms, I entered the following into the search box.

 

In response I got this:

(2)

Given that the document you're discussing is behind a paywall and it is never wise for anyone to tell you how to cite a specific document one cannot see, would you also supply an image of the document?

Also, is this is an extension of a similar but more generic discussion we had back in 2020 (https://www.evidenceexplained.com/node/1733)?

Submitted byHistory-Hunteron Fri, 07/28/2023 - 11:08

One could consider it to be a similar situation to that mentioned in the post, node 1733, but the situation does have a wrinkle or two.

I did not originally upload the image as it is 1.29 MB and exceeds the allowable size. I have converted it to JPG, reduced the size and attached it. I hope that it is sufficiently legible for your purposes.

If I were to cite it as if it were similar to an electronically delivered GRO certificate, I suppose I might try something like this;

Army Medal Office, PDF image showing medal card of Pioneer [rank] Bellini (Guido), Royal Engineers, regimental no. WR 343695; The National Archives [TNA] reference WO 372/2/92008, Kew, London, England. Ordered via https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-medal-index-cards-1914-1920 and received by electronic delivery, 24 April 2020.

However; specifying how one could re-order it is definitely not as straight-forward as for an electronically delivered GRO certificate. A researcher might struggle to locate the correct search page to order a copy. So; I have added a note to help.

Upload a document
WO-372-2-92008.jpg

Submitted byEEon Fri, 07/28/2023 - 18:15

History-Hunter

Thanks for the update. The images make clearer what it is you are citing. The link will help to explain that type of record to others, though it still will not help a user get to the online information for Bellini.

One question:  Why are you placing the name “Guido” in parentheses?  Reading that presentation of the name earlier, I tried three different versions in my failed efforts to get results from the search query form:

  •  “Guido Bellino,” since Guido is commonly a first name and Bellini is commonly a last name
  • “Bellini Guido,” on the possibility that his name might be an anomaly
  • “Bellini,” on the possibility that he may be listed under a surname only and you placed Guido in parentheses as an editorial edition not on the original card, using parens rather than editorial brackets.

Your readers will wonder.

Submitted byHistory-Hunteron Sat, 07/29/2023 - 06:17

The formatting of the name is not the issue. The search form fails, if one includes Corps = "Royal Engineers" as a parameter.

I have tried all reasonable combinations based upon the card image and catalogue, in an effort to determine how that field might have been indexed. Unfortunately; I've found no combination that works. It may be an indexing flaw.

This is an issue that the National Archives needs to address, as the item is catalogued as shown below.

Image removed.

By way of explanation about my naming convention and for the benefit of readers...

I use "Surname (Given Names)", because I do a great amount of international research and regularly come across situations in which the names are extremely unusual and can have multiple components. This practice helps me by visually segregating the two noted name-elements. Using parentheses and not square brackets makes it clear that this is not a clarification/correction. The alternative of reversing the name and using commas would add to the "visual confusion" in EE-style citations, which can already be comma-heavy. I typically explain this personal practice in the preamble to my reports. While "Guido Bellini" is not a complex case, I continue this convention for the sake of consistency within my work.

Submitted byEEon Sat, 07/29/2023 - 09:24

Thanks, History-Hunter, for elaborating on the problem.  Two further thoughts:

1. Given the problems with the website, EE would use your first citation with an addition:  In the Specific Item Block of your Layer 2, where the provider of the image is cited, EE would state the search terms that work.

2. Consistency in our own files or writings is admirable; and all of us, in our research and writing, have to balance conflicts and reach decisions as to how things should be handled. For the benefit of our readers in this forum, however, I have to point two things here:

  • By longstanding convention in the genealogical field, parentheses around a name are used to indicate that it is a female's maiden name.
  • Best practices among historical researchers dictates that when our citation invokes the name of the person to look for in that set of records, then (a) we copy the name exactly as it appears in that record; and (b) if the name is spelled or written differently than the norm, then we place quotation marks around the name as quoted from the record.  Thus, if we are citing a record that identifies a man as "BELLINI Guido" then our citation would identify him that way, with quote marks.

Submitted byHistory-Hunteron Sat, 07/29/2023 - 14:00

I appreciate your feedback regarding the note about search terms.

I should note that I tend to follow another convention, which has also been around for years; that of filing and referring to ladies only by their maiden names. With electronic filing systems, having the surname "change" causes issues with filing. As such, I don't use parentheses to indicate their maiden names. I think conventions are changing; like that of no longer capitalizing surnames.

This particular post illustrates an issue that is rather common in records accessed via a search page. The spelling and capitalization in the image one views and that used in indexing often differ; as is the case here. If one utilizes only what is actually seen in the image, then trying to relocate/re-order the image will be confusing at best. The use of quotes and square brackets to show both alternatives for all the parameter fields, while per the rules, will make a citation longer and can make a citation significantly more complex to follow.