Performing Archival Research

Review the finding aids and Digital Collections website. 
Form a list of the materials you’ll be interested in viewing. You will need to provide specific names of collections, series, and/or files that you’d like to view. This guide can help you learn how to read a finding aid. Be sure to also review the Digital Collections website to make sure that materials you are interested in, aren’t already available online. 

Schedule your appointment in advance. 
We are a small team who will do our best to accommodate your schedule, and it is best to give us a few days notice before you’d like to come in for an appointment. The further in advance you schedule your appointment, the more likely we will be able to accomodate your preferred time. Some materials may also require additional time for archivists to review their contents before your appointment, due to their fragile condition or restricted information. In these instances, a note will be made in the finding aid under “Use Restrictions”. 

Request materials. 
When you schedule your appointment, you will be asked to provide a list of materials you want to view. It is helpful to tell us what boxes and folders contain these materials. There is no official limit to the number of materials you can request, but we do ask that you be mindful of how much time it will take you to review the materials. Handwritten letters, for instance, will take much longer to review than purely visual materials like photo albums. If you are unsure of what you need or how long something may take to look at, Archives staff can help you plan what materials you’ll want to view during your appointment. 

Perform background research. 
Archival research depends heavily on context. In addition to reading the finding aids, be sure to consult other sources before arriving for your appointment. Familiarize yourself with the organizations and people who created these records. Knowing background information will help you better interpret the information you find in the collections. 

Review how to research with primary sources. 
This guide can help you understand the processes you’ll need to use while researching with primary source materials. 

Ask questions!
The Pratt Archives staff know all the quirks and intricacies of the collections, and have a wealth of institutional knowledge. Oftentimes, things may exist in places you didn’t expect. If you need help, email us at archives.library@pratt.edu and we can try pointing you in the right direction.