ENG 200: How to do it: Your Guide to Archival Research

Plagiarism & Citation Style Information

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OSU's Page

There are a number of tutorials on the web, some examples are:

Citation Style Resources:

Find Secondary Source Articles

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America: History & Life

What are Primary Sources?

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Primary sources are materials produced by participants or observers at the time of an event or during a particular span of years. They are "original" in that the recording of the event or experience originates with the participants or direct observers. Some examples of primary sources are:

Diaries, journals, memoirs, letters, autobiographies
Official documents or records from government or private organizations (minutes, reports, etc.)
Books, magazines, and newspapers produced at the time of the event
Court decisions, transcripts, and other legal papers
Research data (reports, market surveys, public opinion polls, statistics)
Films, photographs, paintings, video recordings
Novels, poetry, and plays

OSU Archives: Why Are We Here?

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The University Archives is the repository for official and unofficial records that document OSU's history. Our collections include historical records of enduring value generated by faculty, academic departments, administrative offices, students, and campus organizations.

What Will You Find On This Page?

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What are Primary Sources?
OSU Archives: Why Are We Here?
Archives@OSU: What Will You Find Here?
OSU Archives Location & Hours
Archives Outside OSU
What Are My Choices? Class Pictures & Papers
Course Handouts: Analysis Worksheets
How to Cite Archival Materials
Using Microforms

Archives Location & Hours

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Academic Year Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

Please visit the OSU Archives Location & Hours Site for more information.

Course Handouts: Analysis Worksheets

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The document analysis worksheets on this site were designed and developed by the Education Staff of the National Archives and Records Administration. You may find these worksheets useful as you work with various kinds of documents and archival materials.

Document Analysis Worksheets

How to Cite Archival Materials

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Archival materials such as manuscripts, photographs, departmental papers, oral histories, and diaries are unique items that often require complex citations. When citing archival resources, keep these points in mind:

Unlike the books and journals in a library, most archival materials are one of a kind. Thus, citations should not only identify the source, but also the repository where the source is located.
Collection title and any collection call numbers should always be included in the citation.
Archival collections can consist of hundreds of boxes worth of materials, so make sure that you always include specific information about the portion of the collection you are referring to, including information about the the page, date, or filing unit (box/folder) in which the item is found.
Individual archival repositories often have different methods of organizing their records; therefore, having a consistent rule for all archival citations is not necessarily possible. If you are unsure about the structure of your citation, remember that its purpose is to guide the reader to your source: providing more information is always better than not enough. Never hesitate to ask the Archivist, a librarian, or your professor for assistance.

For more information and specific examples, please visit our How to Cite Materials from OSU Archives page.

Using Microforms: a Tutorial

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Using the microform machines can be a fun, challenging, and unique experience! And probably unlike anything else you will do in your research adventure.

We have 6 machines, all found on the 3rd floor of The Valley Library. 3 of the machines offer a scanning option, and one is coin operated.

Library staff will be happy to help you, but for who would rather go it alone, we have created a tutorial in Flickr.

Microform Tutorial

There are also instructions posted next to each machine and on the Archives' Microform Guidance page .

Suggest a source

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Find a great source that others' might like? Suggest it here!

Government Publications

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Use the LexisNexis Congressional Index to identify congressional publications (hearings, serial set, house/senate reports and documents, etc) from 1789-present. Once identified, then find the full text in print, microfiche, or online depending on availability.

OSU Libraries' guide to Government Information, gives an overview of government publications and how to get them. See this guide for information about Congressional Publications at OSU. Includes links to Congressional Hearings.

What Are My Choices? Class Pictures & Papers

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Fighters on the farm front: the war effort at home

Please choose from these images & posters: