Seven Kinds of Archives

    For practical convenience, I've grouped the resources available for creative research into seven archives and under each included a list of examples within that category. The lists are by no means exhaustive-- I hope we will add to them during the course of the semester. And items may overlap from one list to another-- for instance, maps are often printed paper archives containing much written information, but they also contain an invaluable visual element. So treat the categories for what they are-- a convenient way to keep track of opportunities-- rather than as gospel. You may well want to organize them in a different way.

    The main point is not to be limited to the library, where all too many researchers begin and end their quests. And if you are going to the library, understand how many different "libraries" there are within the whole. William Madison Randall Library, for instance, contains more than merely thousands of books and periodicals; it also is home to a partial Government Documents Repository, music, video, and recorded word libraries; a map room; a Special Collection of manuscripts, books, screenplays, and other papers; art and artifacts; Interlibrary Loan; and a vast electronic database set that lets you research resources around the world. So keep an open mind and explore.

    And as you explore, keep in mind Aristotle's famous dictum: Know Thyself. But think of it now in a different way-- not as an admonition to examine your life and motives, though that can be valuable, but as a warning to know a thing firsthand, to know it from your own best evidence, experience, and judgment. Always seek out primary sources wherever and whenever possible, rather than rely on second- or third-hand accounts.

1. Paper Archives.

•     Libraries.
•     Special Collections.
•     Private Papers.
•     Letters.
•     Diaries, Journals, Field Notes, etc.
•     Business Ledgers.
•     Government Documents.
•     Parish Records.
•     Trial Transcripts.
•     Books and Monographs.
•     Periodicals.
•     Phone Book/ Yellow Pages.
•     Atlas/ Maps/ Charts.
•     Bibliographies.
•     Unpublished Manuscripts.
•     Literature of the period.

2. Living Archives.

•     Live presentations-- e.g., lectures, readings, broadcast appearances.
•     Personal Interviews-- recorded or noted, directed or oral history-style.
•     Observation of Living Persons-- e.g., watching a wooden boat builder at work.
•     Expert consultations-- e.g., having a nuclear scientist explain to you how fission works.

3. Electronic Archives.

•     World Wide Web-- Search Engines and Websites..
•     Online and CD-ROM Databases-- see Randall Library's homepage for a complete list.
•     E-Mail.
•     Interactive Sites-- including People Finder, MapQuest, etc.
•     Other Files in Electronic Format.
•     Data from Electronic Instruments, e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS) and Radar.

4. Visual Archives.

•     Photographs.
•     Film & Video.
•     Art, e.g., Drawings, Sketches, Paintings, Frescoes, Icons, Statuary, Sculpture, Illustrations.
•     Blueprints.
•     Maps/ Charts/ Atlas.
•     X-Rays and other images generated by technology.
•     Graphs/ Charts/ Diagrams..
•     Symbols.
•     Mathematical Proofs.
•     Artifacts.
•     Museum Dioramas and Displays.
•     Inscriptions/ Mottoes/ Logos, etc.

5. Audio Archives.

•     Music.
•     Books on Tape.
•     Speeches/ Public Addresses.
•     Literary Readings.
•     News Recordings.
•     Radio Broadcast.
•     Interviews.
•     Cockpit Voice Recordings/ Radio Transmissions/ 911 Calls, etc.
•     Natural Sound.
•     Manufactured Sound.
•     Sound Effects.
•     Online Midi and MP3 files.
•     Personal Tape of Mini-Disk Recordings.

6. Experiential Archives.

•     "Walking the Ground," i.e., going to a place and experiencing it firsthand.
•     Re-enactment.
•     Tactile Impressions.
•     Performing an Activity.
•     "Ride-Along."
•     Actual Participation in an Event.
•     Immersion, i.e., long-term Participation.
•     Undercover Participation-- examine the ethical, emotional, and legal ramifications before you try this.
•     Handling Artifacts.

7. Archives of Memory & Imagination.

•     Discovering connections among disparate elements of research.
•     Extrapolating from known facts to create plausible scenarios and fill in  "missing" scenes.
•     Using logic to weigh evidence and testimony to determine the likeliest truth.
•     Using intuition  the same way.
•     Daydreaming your way inside other people's lives, other periods in history, etc.
•     Finding empathy for people who are utterly different based on their times, places, actions, circumstances, religion, social status, etc.
•     Reconciling conflicting or contradictory testimony and evidence.

Research for Writers Home            "The Drama of Design"