HIST 5023: Historical Methods

This guide assists with identifying and researching topics for historical study including how to find and use primary and secondary resources.

Styles and Approaches

For most academic history, the Chicago Manual style or the Turabian style are preferred when creating the various citations needed for publication. Citation for historical works include footnotes, end notes, works cited pages, and bibliographies.

Citations should provide sufficient detail for locating items, primarily for other researchers who wish to consult them, and also for you should you need access to the materials again. Each citation should include information that will identify the specific item used.

Previously Published Materials

Citations to published books, journal articles, reports, newspapers, maps, etc., used from this department's collections need not cite this library unless the item would be difficult for other researchers to find conveniently at other libraries. Cite the repository if you refer to marginalia or other features unique to a specific publication.

Citation Examples for Special Collections Materials

The following citations are expanded from the footnote formats recommended in The Chicago Manual of Style:


LETTER
10. L. Brezhnev to J. William Fulbright, July 7, 1973. J. William Fulbright Papers, series 48, subseries 16, box 42, folder 3. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.


DIARY, MEMOIRS, ETC.
11. Mary Bacon Bond, commonplace book, May 4, 1836. Martin Family Papers (MC 859), series 2, box 1, folder 8. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

REPORT
13. Institute of Distribution, "The Case For--The Case Against: The Utterback-Robinson-Patman Bills," 34-36. Joseph Taylor Robinson Papers, series 9, subseries 2, box 215, folder 4. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.


MICROFILM EDITION
14. Minute book, Southland Monthly Meeting of Friends, December 17, 1873. Southland College Papers (MC 577), microfilm edition, series 7, box 12, folder 1 [or reel 6, frame 1]. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

ORAL HISTORY
15. Mrs. Alice West, interview by Mary Celestia Parler, December 11, 1954, "Fourth of July and Christmas Customs," transcript. Folklore Collection, box 3, folder 32. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

MUSICAL COMPOSITION
16. Florence Price, Symphony in E Minor, orchestral score. Florence Price Papers (MC 988), series 2, subseries 4, box 3, folder 5. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

LITERARY DRAFT
17. John Gould Fletcher, poem, "I Had Scarcely Fallen Asleep." John Gould Fletcher Papers, series 1, subseries 1, box 3, folder 24. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

UNPROCESSED COLLECTION
18. Orval E. Faubus to Harlan Hobbs, November 21, 1957. Harlan Hobbs Papers. Unprocessed. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Full identification of each photograph and credit to the photographer (when known) should be provided in the cut line with the photograph, a footnote, an endnote, or a list of illustrations. As the following three examples show, photographs and other illustrations may be located either in the general picture collection or in a specific manuscript collection.

19. Photograph of lumber mill at Forester, Arkansas. Picture Collection, number 3783. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.


20. Photograph of Daisy Bates with John F. Kennedy at the White House. Daisy Bates Papers (MC 582), series 4, subseries 4, box 9, photograph number 57. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

21. Photograph by J. Laurence Charlton of a migrant worker family. J. Laurence Charlton Collection, group 3, number 12. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION ON THE INTERNET
22. “The Fulbright Program, 1946-1996: An Online Exhibit.” Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville. URL http://www.uark.edu/speccoll/fulbrightexhibit/intro.html