LibGuides: Engage!: Archival Research 101

Archival Research 101

What is Special Collections and Archives?

Special Collections include rare books, manuscripts, papers, clothing and other items that are of unique value and importance to the study of material culture, history, literature and other subjects. Often items in the Special Collections are fragile, rare, and valuable. Because of this, they do not circulate like the main library collection and must be used only in the Simms Reading Room. Particular strengths of the Furman's Special Collections include the history of the printed book, American history from the 18th century to the present, Greenville and Upcountry South Carolina history, and women's and gender issues.

Archives are the collections of historical records that are established to document the lives of individuals and organizations. Archives are comprised of primary source documents which have been accumulated over a lifetime. The University Archives was established to preserve the history of Furman University. Some of the materials found in the University Archives include the records of campus offices, departments, and individuals, interviews, photographs, recordings, copies of University publications (Bonhomie, The Paladin, The Echo, etc.), scrapbooks, the records of Greenville Woman's College, materials related to student organizations and academic pursuits, and much more.

Primary sources:

These sources are created by individuals who participated in or witnessed an event and recorded that event during or immediately after the event.

Explanation:

A student activist during the war writing about protest activities has created a memoir. This would be a primary source because the information is based on her own involvement in the events she describes. Similarly, an antiwar speech is a primary source. So is the arrest record of student protesters. A newspaper editorial or article, reporting on a student demonstration is also a primary source.

Types:

Deeds, wills, court documents, military records, tax records, census records, diaries, journals, letters, account books, advertisements, newspapers, photographs, and maps are primary sources.

Secondary sources

These sources are created by someone who was either not present when the event occurred or removed from it in time. We use secondary sources for overview information, and to help familiarize ourselves with a topic and compare that topic with other events in history.

Types:

History books, encyclopedias, historical dictionaries, and academic articles are secondary sources.

If you've never written a research paper using primary sources, it is important to understand that the process is different from using only secondary sources. Many students discover that finding and gaining access to primary source documents can be difficult. The Library website has a valuable guide to locating primary source documents. Follow the link below to be redirected to that guide:

https://libguides.furman.edu/resources/primary-sources

Students are encouraged to seek help from the Special Collections Librarian or Research Librarians to aid in their research projects. Librarians will be able to aid students in a variety of ways including helping to locate primary source materials.

After locating appropriate primary sources, it is necessary for students to analyze and interpret them. To many students, this task can seem arduous, if not overwhelming. There are many resources available in the library as well as online, which are helpful. The National Archives website has very useful analysis worksheets that can help students to determine the significance of primary source documents. Links to PDF files of these worksheets are listed below:

Primary sources are firsthand, contemporary accounts of events created by individuals during that period of time or several years later (such as correspondence, diaries, memoirs and personal histories). These original records can be found in several media such as print, artwork, and audio and visual recording. Examples of primary sources include manuscripts, newspapers, speeches, cartoons, photographs, video, and artifacts. Primary sources can be described as those sources that are closest to the origin of the information. They contain raw information and thus, must be interpreted by researchers.

Secondary sources are closely related to primary sources and often interpret them. These sources are documents that relate to information that originated elsewhere. Secondary sources often use generalizations, analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of primary sources. Examples of secondary sources include textbooks, articles, and reference books.

The purpose of a citation is to tell someone else where you found a certain piece of information. Archival materials are unique and the original can only be found in one place. Even published materials in special collections can be hard to find in more than one repository, so a good citation to the copy you used is important. Citations for archival materials and rare or unusual published materials should make it clear not only what the source is, but also where, exactly, it can be found.

Primary source citation depends on the type of primary source you are using (i.e. a law document, newspaper, etc...) and the style of citation required (i.e. MLA, APA, etc...). After you have determined these two factors, you may want to locate a particular citation guide in the reference section of the library. These guides are non-circulating and are for library use only. One of the most widely used citation guides may be found through this link:

How Do I Use Citations?

In addition, the National Archives website has an extensive guide to citing primary sources. Follow the link below for a complete set of guidelines for citing primary sources from the National Archives and Records Administration:

Citing Primary Records in the National Archives