Primary research material abounds in archives, libraries and other institutions all over the world. Because such material is generally irreplaceable, few institutions will loan their collections so researchers must be prepared to travel to the sources essential to their projects. This guide
Primary research material abounds in archives, libraries and other institutions all over the world. Because such material is generally irreplaceable, few institutions will loan their collections so researchers must be prepared to travel to the sources essential to their projects. This guide is intended to offer suggestions on planning a research trip to an archives or primary resource repository.
For more information on finding primary sources, please see the Primary Sources guide.
Research trips may require a significant amount of time and resources. Keep the following points in mind when planning your trip.
Plan your visit in advance but have a backup plan in case things go wrong. Bad weather or a natural disaster may cause a facility to close during your visit. Or you may discover another repository in the area which has additional resources. Plan to visit multiple repositories in the area to maximize your visit and provide alternates in case one facilty is unavailable for research.
Schedule Enough Time
Be sure to schedule enough tim