Research Techniques

Research using primary sources can be a time consuming process. Unlike library items such as books and serials, many primary sources do not appear in the library catalog or on the Web. Two of the most common methods of locating materials are word-of-mouth and examining footnotes in relevant secondary sources.

In the course of a research project, you may employ several, if not all, of the techniques discussed in this section. Depending on the topic, one technique may be more useful than another. For example, if you are working on an entirely new subject, you may be less dependent on tracing footnotes in earlier works. In this case you may rely on experts and librarians, curators, and archivists more than a researcher who asking a new question about a topic that has already been explored in more depth by others.

Regardless of how you find your information, it is always important to cite sources, so that you may properly credit other work, and so that others may learn from your work and verify your evidence and conclusions. In addition, when quoting from sources, it is important to ensure that you have copyright permission.