I am confused. If I take a US Census (online images) & copy that source & add it to my favorites to use. From this copied source I then reuse it to create each year for a source name. (I.e. 1930 Census). Can I keep reusing the copy, but fill in with the new master source data (new or same year, new or same state). Then add citation name I.e. 1930 Census person name, & fill in page #, ED #, into the citation details fields. I have watched videos trying to see if this is how to keep sources lumped by census year (or vital record or newspaper etc instead of a long list of Source templates for each person) & Im missing the boat somehow when I go back I find I added a master source with a mismatched citation? I’m using RM11. Trying to add sources from family search. I match my person & data, go to sources tab & import the source (don’t find it in my source list so I just copy each detail from the family search web page). I like reusing the same template but confused how to do it without overwriting someone else’s source. I keep watching YouTube’s RootsMagic webinars & keep missing this important rule. Thank you.
You can reuse an existing master source and citation, but as soon as you change anything on it, it will change for everyone linked to it. If you want to use the same master source (and not change anything there) you can add new citations to it. If you Memorize a source citation when pasting select “Paste copy” when you want to make changes to the citation area. This works because you have a new citation connected to the master source. Changes on a paste copy won’t affect anyone else because there is no one else using it yet. If you selected “Reuse” you are simply adding the person/fact to the Used list on that existing citation. Don’t make changes to a “reused” citation because there are others using it and it will affect them.
@vma If I understand your issue - I think you are struggling with should I be a “lumper” or a “splitter”. In other words - if you are a lumper then you would have one source for the 1930 US Census - something generic for the details and every person in your tree that has a 1930 US census would have a citation attached to that source. If you are a splitter then your source may look something like the ABC Family 1930 Census etc. and only the people in that family would have a citation to that source. But you will have many 1930 Census Sources (i.e. one for each family) Therefore, if you make a change to a source, as a lumper, it changes it for everyone, if you are a splitter, it would only affect that specfic family.
The good news is RM can accommodate either or both. One word of caution - if you are downloading a census from FS via Tree Share to RM - FS will add the census as a Source Splitter i.e. one family per census. If you download from Ancestry it’s more of a lumper process - One source for all - with citations.
Bottom line you need to make the decision am I a lumper or splitter or both - there is no right answer - but something we all struggle with! - Good luck!
I appreciate your lumper vs splitter analogy. I have decided to be a lumper. I’m hoping this creates information for an individual report & narrative report. It’s been a slow process getting a grip on the difference between master source & citation & where to put the data that a source contains. I have copious amounts of notes from reading Rootmagic 11 book & listening to the YouTube videos. I can’t brag that I have a grip yet. I have reduced my sources to around 12-15 & just reuse them (seems to be more relaxing). I created research notes thinking they were the best for reports & now seem to be copy & pasting these notes into fact notes because they are so informative in the individual report. The narrative report seems a bit cluttered with research imbedded in with titles, url, etc in the footnotes or endnotes. I think that is probably due to using Freeform (in the past). Currently, I keep working on grabbing one fact source at a time from family search (I use data match to import correct people then go to source tab & pick a source to import into RM & from that source I write everything I can grab off from that source that is possible. I spent a lot of time in family search & decided to use RM for a more secure (no one changes my facts) family tree. I hope I get the data in the correct citation field & keep the master source minimal (title - name - jurisdiction information). My purpose is to be able to send pdf files to my relatives that is a descriptive pleasant to read report. I hope thanks to your lumper encouragement that I am now on a right track & can move forward. Thank you so much for your input.
there are extreme split / extreme lump and grays/variations in-between. Also it may depend on what fact you are cite/sourcing which way you go
I am of the KISS group … Keep It Simple Stupid LOL 
To be sure on my lumping: I go to my favorite 1930 US Census, copy it, then add MS name & citation data to my fact pencil icon. Am I forgetting anything important?
Thank you. vma
Hi VMA,
Just to say again there are no wrong or right ways to do this. You should do what you feel is best and it may take some trial and error until you get the swing of what you like best in RM.
If you are going to be a lumper for the census there are various ways to do this. But if it helps below is what I do as a family genealogist. Again, I’m sure others do things differently – but this is what I do.
The good news is no matter which method you land (lumper, splitter, both) RM can accommodate it.
I use the Ancestry source/citation data for the census. I do this because I use Tree Share with Ancestry and the Source/Citation from Ancestry and it’s fine for me when it comes to the census.
For me this works and I will have a footnote that will be able to leave a “bread crumb” for future family members.
My lumper source for the US 1930 Census looks like this
Source: As you can see its generic for the 1930 US Census and being used 232 times
Example Citation: I do add the Head of Household name to the citation for ease of identification although it’s not necessary just my preference.
This is the footnote info: IMO enough for future generations to find the source.
I hope this helps – Good Luck!
RRF
Thank you so much! This is very helpful & I can now move on. It really helps to see your example & explanation. This gives me concrete information I can print off that will remind me how your lumped source looks. I have seen & listened to so many video’s that I allowed to completely confuse me. I am forever grateful. Thank you for your time. Have a wonderful day.
vma
Which tool is better to use for using same fact i.e. census for multiple people
- Shared fact
- Copy fact tool?
I use RM11
On a mac
Vma
I use copy fact with censuses.
that may depend on what other places outside of RM.
some things have not problems with shared Census facts (TNG for example)
Ancestry does not like the shared parts however.
this person is SON (Shared) census and you can easily see how many other are shared with
3 for 1900 and 7 for 1910
this is one of reasons like it
I customized the order of the roles by consanguinity
and each role can have a custom sentence
Principal
I have always (30+ yrs) put a Census fact for each person listed.
Shared fact came out a few years ago but I did not want to go back and redo my work, so I continue with individual facts.
I rarely use Shared but have used it for Marriage as priest/minister, bridesmaid/bestman shouldn’t have a individual fact (too messy I think).
The new Copy feature comes in handy
I use copy fact as well.
When coping with a fact (and you may already know this) but if you don’t it’s super easy.
Example
-
Click on the fact you want to copy -
Then Click on the tree dots at the top right and select “copy selected fact”
-
Click on “Mark” then “Families” in the dropdown
4) Select the people in the family you want to add the fact - then select “OK” – Then click on the “Select” button and you are done - This is important or it will not save to the other family members.
I hope this helps
Then Right Mouse to get the Menu with “Add, Delete, Copy, Move”