Helpful Hints
When working in an Archive, note the following information to include in your citation:
- Box number
- Folder number
- Collection name
- Author or photographer
- Relevant dates
- If referencing clippings, photocopies, or scans from publications, the name of the publication copied/clipped from is required
Chicago and other citation styles follow the National Archives citation requirements, found in this helpful document created by the National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/files/publications/general-info-leaflets/17-citing-records.pdf
Chicago: Archival Material
Elements to include (Rule)
Author (if applicable) / Title of the item (Rule) / date of the item (Rule) / item number (if applicable) / series title (if applicable) / series number (if applicable) / name of the collection (if applicable) / collection number (if applicable) / name of the depository or archive / location of depository (if applicable) / URL or DOI or name of database (if applicable)
Footnotes: Format (Rule, Examples)
"In a note, the main element of a manuscript citation is usually a specific item (a letter, a memorandum, or whatever) and is thus cited first.”
Bibliography: Format (Rule & Examples)
In a bibliography: "Entries are usually listed under the name of the collection or under the author(s) of the items contained therein...If only one item from a collection has been mentioned in text or in a note and is considered important enough to include in a bibliography, the entry will begin with the item."
Frequently Asked Difficult Questions
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See for more info: Citing Records in the National Archives of the United StatesNeed more examples or helpful information? The Chicago Manual of Style also recommends looking at this "pamphlet" produced by the National Archives on citing archival material.
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Citing republished/bound primary sources (14.260: Citations taken from secondary sources)When possible, always find and cite the original. If this is absolutely impossible, you may need to cite a primary source that is republished in a secondary source.
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Include a URL, but don't do full "website" format (14.7: Uniform resource locators (URLs))If it's a letter that was digitized and put online, cite it as a letter with a URL at the end; don't cite it like a website just because it's online. Don't include a URL for a finding aid; just for a digitized version of the item itself.
