Your role in the scholarly conversation: dialoging
As you dig more deeply into your sources, you may begin to feel as though you're having a conversation with some of the experts. This is the way good research works: you'll agree with some sources, disagree with others, and begin to see trends in the information you gather. You will pull all of these sources together, along with your own ideas to create a feeling of dialog in your paper.
Listen as Heather talks about what makes college-level research distinct, and how you can add your own voice to your research.
Using theses & dissertations your historical research
You've been asked to write a research paper before, right? Many times with instructions to include your "thesis statement," "supporting evidence," "primary sources," or "original research." For graduate students, theses or dissertations provide evidence that they did that original research and are providing original contributions to their field. It takes the form of a lengthy, formal document that supports a thesis statement with evidence, critically analyzes a problem, and includes lots of research.
What does that mean for you as a researcher? Beyond being an excellent place to learn about scholarly writing in general, theses and dissertations are rich resources for learning about the research "conversations" in your discipline and resources for finding primary sources other scholars have consulted. However, like articles or books, these are just research tools to get you to the original materials; reading someone else's thesis, dissertation, reference list, or annotated bibliography does not replace the hard work of tracking down sources on your own.
The Archives does not generally collect or accession theses, but you can learn more about locating theses in the Libraries' collection on the Finding theses and dissertations guide.
Archival Holdings
Unlike the publications in the general collection, archival holdings have limited access. Although there is work you can do on your own and online, expect that your on-site research will require Archives staff assistance and will be limited Archives reference hours.
- Need some help getting started? We've created a "Tips for New Archival Researchers" guide to give you some basics and get you started.
- We've also created a "Primary Sources" guide that will give you guidance on finding, using, and loving researching in historical collections!
Once you know what you'd like to look at, simply come to the reference desk during reference hours to page Archives materials or get staff assistance - no appointments are necessary.
Where to find the OSU Archives collections
Now that you've found the Archives Reference Room on the third floor of the Valley Library, there are a few important things to know.
- The Archives reference section, finding aid or collection guides, yearbooks, and course catalogs are located on the two bookshelves along the north wall of the Archives Reference Room.
- For "old fashioned" research in our memorabelia or photograph collections, the Archives card catalog is located against the south wall of the Archives Reference Room.
- Maps, microfiche, and microfilm are in the cabinets on the southwest side of the 3rd floor. You can find a fiche/film reader in the Archives Reference Room and near Our Little Village south of the Reference Room.
- We've created a Flickr tour of the 3rd floor if you'd like to explore the floor virtually.
You can read more about our hours and contact information on the "About Us" tab on our web site.
Publications in the General Collection
Although archives and special collections house rare or unique materials, you'll also find traditional publications in our collections or reference rooms. These are available to the public and accessible whenever the library is open. Excluding those that are actually a part of archival collections, the bulk of the publications related to the Archives or the 3rd floor are assigned call numbers and can be found by searching the OSU Libraries' catalog.
Some publications associated with the university are available in hard copy in the Archives Reference section. The publications include historic copies of the Beaver, OSU's yearbook, the Oregon Stater, the Alumni Association's publication, and OSU's General Catalog. Some are assigned call numbers, while others are not... So if you don't find what you are looking for in the OSU Libraries Catalog , remember that we are here to help!
Many publications are available on microfilm or microfiche and can be found through an OSU Libraries Catalog search. For instance, historic issues of OSU's Daily Barometer are printed on microfilm and have "LH1 .O7" as a call number. You can find out more about using microfilm in the Microform Help module.
