Reading a poster
- Who was the intended audience of this poster?
- What information can you learn from studying a poster?
Why track and cite your sources?
As you conduct your research it is very important to keep track of what documents you have looked at.
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For yourself: Time management: You don’t want to waste time revisiting boxes and folders because you are unsure if you have already looked at them. You don’t want to waste time retracing your steps trying to find something that you want to use because you forgot where you found it. Academic Requirements: Proper citations are required for all academic assignments. |
For your reader: Checking your sources: Academic work needs to have sources which can be verified. For archival material, you want your reader to be able to trace your sources with minimal effort.
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How do you cite archival sources?
The following are the key components that need to be captured in a citation of archival sources:
- Author or creator's name
- Title of the work (this may be approximate)
- Date (if identifiable)
- Publication information (if relevant)
- Fonds or collection name
- Box number
- Folder number
- Name of archival repository which holds the material
- For digital archival material – the URL and File Name
For more details about how to cite archival material, check out this guide by the University of British Columbia.
Examples of archival citations
Example #1
American Psychological Association (APA):
Notes in Text:
(Engel, letter to Mrs. F. Passmore, 1966).
In Bibliography:
Engel, M. (1966, October 26). [Typed letter to Mrs. F. Passmore]. Marian Engel fonds. William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections (Box 1, File 13), McMaster University Library, Hamilton, Canada.
Modern Language Association (MLA):
Notes in Text:
(Engel, letter to Mrs. F. Passmore, 1966)
In Bibliography:
Engel, Marian. Typed letter to Mrs. F. Passmore. 26 October 1996. Box 1, File 13. Marian Engel fonds. William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University Library, Hamilton, Canada.
Chicago Manual of Style:
In Footnote:
Marian Engel to Mrs. F. Passmore, 26 October 1996, Box 1 File 13, Marian Engel fonds, William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University Library, Hamilton, Canada.
In Bibliography:
Engel, Marian fonds. William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University Library, Hamilton, Canada.
Example #2
American Psychological Association (APA):
Notes in Text:
(Student Association to end the War in Vietnam, ca. 1968).
In Bibliography:
Student Association to end the War in Vietnam. (ca. 1968). [Poster]. Canadian student social and political organizations collection, William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections (Box 7, File 7), McMaster University Library, Hamilton, ON. Macrepo:5609. Available at https://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A5609.
Modern Language Association (MLA):
Notes in Text:
(Student Association to end the War in Vietnam, ca. 1968).
In Bibliography:
Student Association to end the War in Vietnam. Poster. Ca. 1968. Box 7, File 7. Canadian student social and political organizations collection. William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University Library, Hamilton. Macrepo:5609. Available at https://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A5609.
Chicago Manual of Style:
In Footnote:
Student Association to end the War in Vietnam, ca. 1968, Box 7, File 7, Canadian student social and political organizations collection, William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University Library. Macrepo:5609. Available at https://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A5609.
In Bibliography:
Canadian student social and political organizations collection. William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University Library.