If you are curious about the earlier posts click on the following links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
As I was thinking about how to wrap up this series on archival research a few things came to mind.
Research is never complete because there is always something else to learn or find (which is why I love it).
This series was very methodically laid out, step by step, but I find that archival research tends to be more web-like, at least for me. My brain finds connections in ways that seems different than some or rather most. Step by step can be really useful for people just getting started or who feel overwhelmed, but for me research flows from idea to idea.
The next step for researchers is figuring out what it all means. When I was in the research room, most of the time researchers were coming to the archives looking for fully formed answers, “I am looking for the history on this specific thing.” That is not what archives provide. I would tell them that “archives provide the building blocks and your job is to write the history.” Archival records are the raw data and the researcher provides the context and linkages between bits of information.
As I have mentioned, my favorite part is the hunt for information. I don’t care what I am looking for - the excitement is in figuring out the next step and the next step. The information I have laid out in the last 4 posts provide the beginning steps for anyone to get started, a jumping off point that will hopefully guard against frustration.
My best piece of archival research advice is ask an archivist questions. It is a win win situation. I get to have the fun of searching for the right information and you get possible answers to your questions. Magic!
If you do have any archival questions, please send them my way via email or leave a comment.