Archival Research -
First Steps
- Step 1: Think about these questions
- Step 2: Get the basic facts about your topic of interest
- Step 3: Use our web site to find records and information about records
- Step 4: Decide if you should visit us in person
Step 2: Get the basic facts about your topic of interest
The more your know about your chosen topic, and why and how the United States Federal government was involved with that matter, the better the chance that your search for records will be successful. This is true whether you choose to look for records via the World Wide Web or to visit us. We encourage you to use your local library and experts' web sites to learn as much as possible about the connections between your topic and
- Federal Government programs and policies.
- the specific time period during which the Federal Government may have been involved with your topic.
- the geographic locations that may relate to your topic and how the Federal Government may have been involved with programs and government for that area(s).
Here are more questions to consider and learn the basic facts about your topic. Did you read about Record Groups? All records are part of a Record Group associated with a records creator: an agency, bureau, commission, or other entity of the Federal government. Knowing which part of the government created the records you want to see will help you narrow your search to a Record Group, from there you'll narrow your search even further to a series of records within a Record Group.
| Introduction | Go To Step: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
