introduction to archival research 2015

Introduction to

Archival Research

Humphrey Southall

([email protected])

2

Structure of talk:

• What is an archive?

– … and what kinds of archive are there?

• Which archive do you need to visit?

– How do you find out which archive holds the records you

need without visiting them all?

– On-line finding aids

• Preparing for an archive visit

– NB much depends on the particular archive and the

particular type of record

– So this is very general advice

– But may well stop your first visit being a complete waste of

time

• For example, what must you bring to be let in at all!

Introduction to Archival Research

Q: what is an archive

• A place where archives are stored!

• Also called:

– Record Offices, including

• The Public Record Office, now the (UK) National Archives

• County Record Offices

– Repositories

– “State Historical Societies” (in United States)

• Similarly, archivists are sometimes called “Records

managers”

– For example, this university employs a Records Manager

Introduction to Archival Research 3

Q: what are archives?


Q: what is ‘archival’ material?

• ‘Recorded evidence of activities kept for secondary historical values’

• Collections of Primary Sources

• Very often unique

• Held in a variety of ‘repositories’ (also referred to as ‘Archives’!)

• Include (but not limited to!):


Correspondence Maps and Plans

Photographs

Film and Audio

Deeds and wills Registers

Log Books

Research Papers

Draft Manuscripts

Illustrations

Minutes

Reports

Diaries

Q: How do archives differ from other sources?

• Not organised/categorised in the same way

as books

– Catalogues different

– All about CONTEXT…Collections should tell

the story as intended

• Key is the creator or creating body

– Provenance and Original Order

– Think around the subject: use other

resources as well!

• REMEMBER…

– Not everything has survived

– Not everything is kept

– Not everything is easy to find

– Not everything is ‘open’

– Not all Archive ‘repositories’ are the same


Q. Who holds what in the UK?


Who? What?

The National Archives (TNA) Records of central government and the

central criminal courts

Other National British Library, Houses of Parliament, etc.

Local Record Offices Records relating to the administration of the

local authorities and other material of local

relevance

University Archives (Special

Collections)

Material collected to support research and

teaching and other records related to the

administration of the University

Business Archives Material relating to the administration of a

business or organisation

Other Specialist Archives Charities, churches, subject related etc.

Private and family collections Records relating to families, individuals,

estates etc.

Q. How do I find archival material?

• Catalogues by collection

for each Archive

– Not all online

– Not all complete

• National Archives’

Discovery first

place to go

• Main alternative:

Archives Hub

• Ancestry.com (!)


Searching the UK National Archives: Discovery

• http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

• Covers not just National Archives in London but over 2,500 archives around the UK

• UK’s long history as global power means many non-UK records here


http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

• NB only some archives catalogue by placeIntroduction to Archival Research 10

Searching

Discovery for

“Portsmouth”


Records in the NRA

for Portsmouth

Archives about Portsmouth are not always in Portsmouth …


Q. How do I prepare for my first visit?

• Contact before visit

• Be prepared!

• Be organised!

• Ask for help!

• And remember:

– Will I be able to read the material?

• What language is it in?

• Can I read the writing?

– Will the material be accessible?

• -Closed/restricted under legislation? Originals not accessible

because of preservation issues?

– Are there alternatives?

• Transcripts? Translations? Microfilm? Digitised? On-line?


Talk to the archivists!

• Not all staff in archives are archivists

– Archive assistants take your orders and bring documents

– Professional archivists catalogue documents and advise you

• Don’t expect good advice instantly

– Write in advance

– Don’t look an idiot – read-up the obvious stuff first

– Identify subject specialists

– Make appointments

• Explain your project

– They can advise you where to look and where not to look

– They can make special arrangements for “serious

researchers”


Examples of specific projects at TNA

• Building the Great Britain Historical GIS

– Researcher based at Kew for two years

– Project computer located permanently in TNA Map Room

– Special arrangements on document production

• 1942 National Farm Survey Appraisal

– Helped that we were funded by Natural England

– One day visit but pre-planned, with specific appointments

– Allowed to work in stacks

• “Discovering lost ways”

– Another project for Natural England, by commercial

consultancy, LandAspects

– Goal was “to identify so called 'lost ways' through systematic

archive research”


What happened to “Discovering lost ways”


Q. Can you read it?

• Many archival documents are

hand-written

• Not always well-written!

• But as we go further back in time

things get harder:

– Nature of good hand-writing changes

• This is focus of palaeography training

– Vocabulary and grammar changes

– Eventually, we have to deal with dead

languages

• In British records, especially Latin

• What are the equivalents for

Libya?


TNA training in Palaeography


TNA training in Palaeography (2)


TNA training in Latin


Q. What do I take with me?

• Identification and introduction

– Working in another country, take your passport

– Letter from supervisor explaining your research

• Methods for copying information

– Notepad or laptop computer

– Pencils, not pens!

• Plus pencil sharpener and eraser …

– Digital camera (but usually no flash!)

• Plus memory cards, batteries

• Other

– Clothes – some collections are filthy

– Food? – is there a restaurant handy?

– Accommodation – where will you stay?


To get a National Archives Reader’s Ticket:

• Proof of your name with valid signature, such as

– Passport

– Driving licence

– Bank card

– Credit card

• Proof of your address, such as

– Utility bill

– Driving licence with address

– International student photo card

– Student Loans Company LEA/SAAS award letter

• Without these you will not get in!

– Full list at

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/visit/readers-

ticket.htmIntroduction to Archival Research 22

Possible restrictions

• Can you just turn up or must you pre-book?

• Opening hours – don’t assume 9 to 5, check

• Security

– What are you allowed to take in?

• Food? Drink? Mobile phones?

– Where do you leave your other possessions

• Bags? Coats?

– You may be searched on entry and/or exit

• How much of the collection can you take away?

• How many items can you have on your desk at once?

• How many copying requests can you make?

– … and what do they cost? How long do they take?

• Remember that archives are not libraries!


The ideal researcher (from an archivist’s perspective!):

• Is well-prepared – research takes twice as much time as you expect

– record offices have systems (and lunchtimes!)

– at TNA can pre-order

• … has realistic expectations– It wont be what you expect even if you’ve done

your homework

– know the rules e.g. digital photography

• … asks the ‘right’ questions – and understands the provenance of records –

where they came from and why they were created


Doing archival research abroad (1)

• I am the archivist of an international organisation based in

Geneva and have over the years received a fair number of non-

anglophone PhD students. Although the students usually have a

good level of spoken and written English, they:

– Often do not have a good grasp of technical vocabulary

outside their area of specialization, which can be a problem

when documents cover several topics

– Overestimate the speed at which they can read English, so

cannot read as many documents as they would like in the

time they have available to spend in the Archives (even

though 99% of our archival records are type-written, not

hand-written)

• Grant Mitchell, Manager, Library and Archives Unit, International

Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva



• Students should come equipped with a good thick

bilingual dictionary

– not the small pocket kind used by tourists

– … or have identified and tested a good on-line bilingual

dictionary they could use if the archives research room has

an internet connection

– so you could advise the students to ask the repository in

advance if it has an internet connection (plug in or WIFI) that

researchers can use





• I always encourage students to bring a digital camera and small

tripod and take as many pictures of documents as they wish.

– That way, they can fairly quickly identify and capture the

documents of interest to their research, and when they get

home they can get help (or spend more time themselves)

translating those parts of the text they have had difficulty

reading

– However, I know some Archives do not permit digital cameras,

so … ask about a repository's policy on digital cameras when

preparing to visit an Archives

– Also, advise the students to bring extra memory cards and

batteries (I have had a few students who have run out of

memory, run down the batteries of the camera, causing them

delay and frustration)




Doing archival research in the middle east

• As I work in the Middle East Centre Archive, I often come

into contact with students who visit Archives in various

Middle Eastern countries including Libya.

• Depending on the institution and the country it can be

difficult to gain access to Archives. I would always

recommend talking to other students who have used such

Archives for hints and tips. Sometimes it's just a question

of being recommended by the right person.

• Anyway for Libya, your student may find it helpful to talk to

Claudia Gazzini who has spent time carrying out research

in the Libyan archives. Her website is online at

http://www.claudiagazzini.com/website/

• Debbie Usher, Archivist, Middle East Centre Archive, St

Antony's College, Oxford


Q. What are archives not?

• Dusty! Mouldy! Dark! Dingy!

• Inaccessible (unless there is a good

reason)

• For a minority

• All on the internet somewhere!

• Experts in your research

• A one stop shop for all information ever!


• … so long as you

don’t make the

records unusable

for others


Other sources of information

• Internet for Archives:

– http://www.vtstutorials.ac.uk/tutorial/archives

• Society of American Archivists on-line guide:

– http://www2.archivists.org/usingarchives

• UK National Archives online palaeography tutorial

– http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/palaeography

• … and lots more on the handout …

• Many thanks to Ian Johnson, Project Archivist, Sir Liam

Donaldson Papers, University of Newcastle for many of these

slides


http://www2.archivists.org/usingarchives

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/palaeography

introduction to archival research 2015

Education

archival material

particular archive

archival research4

archival research2q

archival research3overall

archive visitnb

kinds of archive

various archival repositories