Special Collections: How-To Research & Access

Citing archives and special collections is different than typical sources like books and articles. 

Even published books in Special Collections can have unique features that distinguish them from other copies of the same title or edition.

Primary sources can be challenging to cite. 

When in doubt:

• Keep close track of what you find and exactly where it is stored.  
• Include all the information someone else would need to locate that exact document again in the future.
• Be consistent the order you list materials within your notes, works cited or bibliography.

Most style guides give general guidance about citing primary source documents. Follow these as much as possible. 

• Chicago Manual: See Chapter 14 sections for
  • Papers, Contracts, and Reports
  • Manuscript Collections 
  • Special Types of References
• MLA: See Citation examples for
  • Visual Art
  • Unpublished Letters
  • Unpublished Manuscripts
  • Published Works in Physical Archives

If you are citing this document, it might look like this:

St. Louis Pan Hellenic Council, New Attitudes in a Changing World, 22 April 1945. Series 6, sub-series 1, Box 1, Folder 2 "Personal Correspondence, 1945." William Sentner Papers, wua00370. Department of Special Collections, Washington University Libraries, St. Louis. 

Generally when citing from an archive, you should try and include the following information:

• Item (who created it, and a title or short description)
• Item date (when created)
• Location within larger collection (series, box, folder)
• Collection name and identification code 
• Repository - the library, archive, or museum (and city if needed to clarify)
• AND, if the item is full-text online, add the URL where you accessed it.

Item (creator and title / description)

• The creator could be the person who wrote a letter, an organization that created a flier, or a business which produced an advertisement.
  • Sometimes the creator of an item may be the same as the creator of the collection you found it in, but just as often it’s someone else. 
• If there is no clear title on the document, list the type, format, or brief (few word) description of the item. 

Item date created

• Sometimes there is a clear date on your item. Include as much of the date as possible
  • If it doesn't have a date, make your best guess and indicate this with "circa" or put the date inferred in [brackets].
  • If you really can't tell, it's okay to say "no date" or "undated."
• Check your citation guidelines for the order to list Day, Month, and Year. Always be sure to use a 4-digit year.

Location within archive or manuscript collection*

• This varies by collections, but usually include:
  • SERIES number (and sometimes sub-series number) if collections lists them. Small collections may not have series. 
  • Box or container number.
  • Folder number and/or Folder title. 
  • Any further information (section, part, or item number)
• You will find this information in the collection inventory (finding aid) and on the container with the items.
  • Ask archive staff if you have any questions. Labels on boxes or folders may be abbreviated for space.

*NOTE: If you are citing a rare book or unusual publication shelved in Special Collections by call number, this step in citation is not needed.

Collection title and identifier*

• The full official name of the collection. Check carefully as many are long, and can have only slight differences between collections.
• ID (identifier) code typically has letters and numbers. This is unique to each collection
• You will find this information in the collection inventory (finding aid) and on the box.
  • Ask archive staff if you have any questions. Labels on boxes may be abbreviated for space.

*NOTE: If you are citing a rare book or unusual publication shelved in Special Collections by call number, this step in citation is not needed.

Repository

• The name of the library, archive, special collections department, museum or cultural institution where the item is located. 
  • Some large organizations -- like WashU -- have more than one location, so be specific about department and building. 
  • State or national archives may have many locations, so also give the city to clarify.
• Commonly in bibliographies you can list the longer repository name, and then use abbreviations for later citations

Common examples:

URL for digitized items*

If you viewed a document, video or image online, also include the full URL where someone else can access it.

• Use a perma-link or DOI if provided on the site (rather than longer URL in browser bar). 
• not always required by style guides, but many professors ask you also include the (date accessed)

*Two exceptions:

1. Although finding aids describing the collection are online, when citing archives you would typically not include a link to the finding aid, UNLESS you are quoting from or referencing the provided description.  Then your source is not the archival document, but the secondary source describing it.

2. If you were given a digital copy of a document by the archive, but it is not generally available to other researchers online, do not include a URL. State that in the description of your item, such as "digital copy of XYZ, date"

gratefully adapted from based on Duke LIbraries, https://guides.library.duke.edu/CitePrimarySources/Archival