By this point in your academic career, you are experts in citing sources like books and journal articles. But what about archival sources? They can be a bit trickier.
The goal when citing archival sources is to allow future researchers to trace your steps. Provide as much information as possible about the location of the source: repository, collection, box, folder. If an item does not have a clear title, you may have to make one up.
Creator, title or description of item, date created, Collection identifier, box number, folder number, Collection Name, Name of Repository, Location of Repository.
ex. Logan Pearsall Smith, letter to Rose Macaulay, 1943, Series 1, Folder 2, SC.024 Logan Pearsall Smith Papers, Trinity University Special Collections and Archives, San Antonio, TX.
Subsequent notes of material from the same collection can be shortened:
ex. Lascelles Abercrombie, letter to Smith, 1934, Series 2, Folder 1, Logan Pearsall Smith Papers.
If citing only one item from an archival collection, the name of the item or its creator is usually the main element in the bibliography entry. If you've cited more than one item from a collection, the name of the collection is usually the main element in the bibliography entry.
example 1: Smith, Logan Pearsall. Letter to Rose Macaulay. 1943. SC.024 Logan Pearsall Smith Papers. Trinity University Special Collections and Archives, San Antonio, TX.
example 2: Logan Pearsall Smith Papers, SC.024. Trinity University Special Collections and Archives, San Antonio, TX.
Citations for archival materials found in digital collections are much the same as for material consulted in-person. Instead of a physical location (box and folder numbers), include a URL at the end of the citation.
Note: Photograph of tennis team, 1898, Trinity University Historical Images, https://trinity.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16264coll6/id/120/rec/1.
If you are struggling to determine how to cite a primary source, ask the archivist or librarian in charge of the material! Sometimes citations for unusual materials can be tricky, and we are happy help you out.
The Duke University Libraries guide Citing Primary Sources is an excellent overview, with examples of citations to different kinds of documents and artifacts.