Evidence Explained

Eight years have passed since the first edition of Evidence Explained, the definitive guide to the citation and analysis of historical sources--a guide so thorough that it leaves nothing to chance. Yet advances in genealogy and history research, changes at major repositories and online information providers, and the ever-evolving electronic world have generated new citation and analysis challenges for researchers. While countless websites now suggest ways to identify their offerings, few of those address the analytical needs of a researcher concerned with the nature and provenance of web material, whose numerous incarnations and transformations often affect the reliability of their content.

Like the previous editions of Evidence Explained, the third edition explains citation principles for both traditional and nontraditional sources; includes more than 1,000 citation models for virtually every source type; and shows readers where to go to find their sources and how to describe and evaluate them. It contains many new citation models, updates to websites, and descriptions and evaluations of numerous contemporary materials not included in earlier editions.

Highlights of the third edition include:

• QuickStart Guide


• Expanded 3x3 Evidence Analysis Process Model


• Expanded coverage for genetic citations


• Expanded coverage of layered citations

Plus

• Latest concepts in evidence analysis


• Coverage of latest media and delivery systems


• Expanded glossary


• Handling of cached materials at Wayback Machine and elsewhere


• Privacy standards for genetic research


• Updates in National Archives citations after changes at NARA and TNG


• Updates for major online providers after acquisitions and mergers


• When to cite DOIs vs. URLs


• When to cite Stable URLs vs. paths and keywords


• Your 4 Basic Rules for citing websites


• & many other issues raised by users of past editions

Elizabeth Shown Mills is an award-winning historical writer with decades of research experience in public and private records of many Western nations. Published widely by academic and popular presses, Mills edited a national scholarly journal for 16 years, taught for 13 years at a National Archives-based institute on archival records and, for 25 years, headed a university-based program in advanced research methodology. Mills knows records, loves records, and regularly shares her expertise in them with audiences across three continents.