The Suffolk University Archives have primary source materials on a wide variety research topics (see our Research Topics page). If you are conducting archival research for the first time and are unfamiliar with the "how-to" this guide can simplify and clarify any questions you may have. Using our collections for research is easy!

Suggested outline of research steps

1. Develop your thesis statement.

2. Conduct secondary source research first.

3. Use the archival collections in the Suffolk University Archives.

Secondary source research

Secondary sources are books, scholarly articles, audio/visual materials and/or bibliographies other people have written or complied about a topic. It is that author’s personal interpretation of archival documents. Find out what other people who have studied your topic have said about it before you begin your archival research. To find secondary sources use electronic databases, reference librarians, bibliographies or subject guides. Access the Sawyer Library here.

Archival/Primary Source research

Research using archival collections or primary source material is much different from secondary source research. Before you have physical access to the collections you will have a reference interview, so that the archivists can understand your topic and guide you through the collections, and you will be given a finding aid for the collection, so that you can understand the contents of the collection. Archival research can be time consuming because you are looking at uninterpreted records, you decide what you use for research and how you want to interpret what you find.