Sources are the backbone of all research. A source entry in ChroniclePress is a record of any document, book, record set, or archive that supports your research. Think of it as the equivalent of a footnote, but one that lives on your website and can be easily connected to every person and place it mentions.
Create a new source #
In your admin menu, click Sources, then click Add New Source.
In the Add title field, give the source a clear, descriptive name. Think of this as the title you’d use to refer to it in conversation — for example, 1880 United States Federal Census — Carroll County, Maryland or Burial Register of St. Mary’s Parish, Cork, 1820–1865.
The main content area #
Use the content editor to add any notes about this source — a transcription, its condition, what it covers, how you accessed it, or anything else that would be useful to someone trying to find or use it themselves.
Citation Details #
This panel holds the bibliographic information for the source. Fill in as many fields as your source warrants — none are required.
Author — The person or organisation who created the source. For census records or official documents, this might be a government body rather than an individual.
Date — The date of the source itself — when it was written, published, or recorded.
Publisher — The publisher, issuing body, or organisation responsible for the source.
Repository / Archive — Click this field to open the repository picker and select the archive, library, or institution that holds this source. If the repository isn’t in the list yet, you can type its name and add it right from the picker. See [Using the Repository Picker] for details.
Collection — The name of the specific collection within the repository, if applicable. For example, Probate Records or Land Valuation Records.
Reference — A call number, document ID, folio number, or any other identifier that helps locate this specific item within the repository.
Pages — The specific page or folio reference within the document, if relevant.
Volume — Volume or series information, if the source is part of a larger work.
Language — The language the source is written in. Particularly useful if you’re working with records in Latin, Irish, German, or another language.
Online Access #
Online URL — If this source is available online, paste the full web address here. ChroniclePress will turn it into a clickable link on the source’s page.
Date Accessed — The date you last accessed the online version. Web resources can disappear or move, so recording this is good practice.
Featured Image #
If you have a scan or photograph of the source, add it here as the featured image. Seeing a snippet of an original document is often very meaningful for visitors.
Saving your work #
Click Publish to save and publish, or Save Draft to come back later. Once the source is saved, use the Connections panel to link it to the people and places it mentions.
