Citation of both folio and page in England census When citing census records for England and Wales (1841-1901), by convention we cite both the folio and page number. Since the page number simply clarifies which side of the folio to look on, why is this necessary or useful? Would it be better simply to cite the page using 'r' (recto) and 'v' (verso) to indicate which side of the folio, as this is consistent with the guidelines for Citing documents in The National Archives? For example, `RG 9/2480, f 70, p 11` would become `RG 9/2480, f 70r`. ADDED: As it seems to be the consensus that the use of recto/verso is unclear or confusing, perhaps a better question is why is it necessary to cite the page at all? The folio alone is sufficient to locate a specific record, so why not leave the citation as, for example, `RG 9/2480, f 70`?

To be useful, information not only needs to be right but also _clear_ and _accessible_. Perhaps after due digging thru a dictionary or some other reference, someone can eventually figure out what "r" or "v" means. However, far more people will understand "p 11". From your description, it seems this ultimately conveys the same information, so it makes sense to go with more broadly understood and accessible.