Using archives and special collections
Using archival sources in your research
Archives offer researchers unique opportunities to explore previously unresearched material. Often you may be the first person to look at a document since it was deposited and catalogued at the archives. Writing about unique material has its challenges as there may be no available secondary source material which directly discusses the material and you will need to think about the wider critical discourse around the topic.
Why was this item created?
Archives are documents that are no longer needed for their original purpose e.g. a bus ticket, school admission records, a theatre poster, yet have informational and evidential value for the purpose of writing history. However, the significance of the item must be considered alongside its uniqueness. e.g. a scrapbook of an aristocratic young lady. How representative is this of young woman’s leisure practices? Are there other examples in other archives, and what can you learn about women’s leisure from researching this document?
Critically thinking about documents
Citing archival material
Most referencing systems will provide guidance on how you cite a resource. Harvard recommends the following:
Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of manuscript, Date. Name of collection containing manuscript and reference number, Location of manuscript in archive or repository.
e.g.
Maxwell, W. B. (1920) Letter to Henry Maxwell, 7 June. Braddon Archive CC/U/BR/014.7, Canterbury Christ Church University Library Archives, Canterbury.