HISTORICALRESEARCH 69
trustworthy as they are not motivated by private
profit.- Who wrote the page? Is he/she or the authoring
institution a qualified authority? - Is the page dated or current and timely?
- Is the information cited authentic? Does it include
references to other sources? Is any of this informa-
tion verifiable? - Does the page have overall integrity and reliability
as a source, including evidence of objective reason-
ing and fair coverage? Or is there distinguishable
propaganda, misinformation or disinformation? - Who is the intended audience of the webpage? Are
there evaluative reviews of the site or its contents? - What is the writing style? Could the page or site be
ironic, a satire or a spoof? - If a website user has questions or reservations
about information provided on the website, how can
they be satisfied? Are there contact details for the
author[s]?
One of the greatest benefits of the internet is access to
online catalogues and databases. All major libraries and
museums, and many smaller collections, now have online
access. This can make research much easier, faster and
cheaper, as the locations of materials can be checked
online, and in some cases documents can be pre-ordered
so that they are waiting for the researcher on arrival.
However, it must be remembered that few online catalogues
are comprehensive. If the material sought is not listed in
an online catalogue, it can still be worth phoning the archive
in question or even visiting in person, as many collections
have far more extensive hard-copy catalogues, particularly
of more obscure primary sources. Another caveat with com-
puter searches is that they can encourage people to focus
on the particular and ignore the general background,
and this can be a big mistake.
Most major academic journals are also now fully or
partially available on the web. This makes research into
more obscure secondary data much easier. University
libraries will have access to the means to search academic
journals electronically.
Methods of Research
When undertaking historical research, it can be difficult
to decide what to record. Collect too much data and the
search will take an unnecessarily long time and be
unwieldy; collect too little data and there may not be
sufficient information to proceed with a project without
returning to an archive at a later date.
Perhaps the most important aspect is to ask the librar-
ian or archivist for help on arrival. When visiting an
archive it is essential to speak to one or more members
of staff because, no matter how good the other searching
aids, the archivist’s knowledge of the collection is usually
unrivalled. Most are happy to provide a guided tour of
an archive and explain where things are and how their cata-
logues work. Many are also fine scholars in their own right
and frequently offer a wealth of additional advice on any
given topic.
When visiting an archive to collect primary evidence,
it is advisable to use a large book or a laptop and be
systematic. Start by recording the title, author and place
of publication of a published document, or the reference
number of the manuscript, together with page or folio
numbers (useful if requesting photocopies at a later date,
and essential if it comes to including the reference in
a publication). Sometimes the quantity of information
involved favours a pro-forma to help systematize data
collection. Only once this key information has been
recorded should the research continue.
It is vital to store records safely, ideally making a
back-up copy for storage elsewhere. When a project is
complete, all these historical data should then be placed
in the project archive (see chapter 19) so others can
access and study it in the future.
If time is short, it can be worth employing an archivist
to do the research, although there are both advantages
and disadvantages to this. While it may be cheaper and
quicker in the case of a specific archive that an archivist
may know well, archivists generally follow instructions to
the letter and, as such, may miss important items because
they lack first-hand experience of the subject, including
passing references to other events that may be vital clues.
Archival research can at first glance appear to be a dull
and thankless task, a waste of time and resources and
the antithesis of all that is good about archaeology and
‘getting out there’. In fact archival research can:- save countless hours of searching for a site in the
wrong location; - provide a wealth of historical context for a location
or wreck; and - present opportunities for networking with other
researchers, which in turn can lead to a range of long-
term benefits.
Well co-ordinated archival research can result in ori-
ginal documents and records relating to a site or event,
even materials that actually belonged to or were used by
specific individuals. The research itself can take place in
a variety of old and fascinating locations – not just dry,
dusty libraries but museums, art galleries and churches.
Archival research might therefore be considered an essen-
tial and potentially stimulating and rewarding aspect of
archaeology.