As with published materials, archival sources used in research require citing, whether you simply make reference to a source, quote directly from it, paraphrase it, or reproduce an image in your work. The form that your citation takes is determined both by where it appears in your paper and by the citation format required by your professor or research discipline. See the sidebar for examples of citing archival sources using the MLA and Chicago citation styles.
Regardless of which format you use, citations of archival materials typically include six key elements:
1. Title of Item
Usually the title given by the Archives to a file or item; in the absence of a title, provide a short description.
2. Name of Collection
The name given by the Archives to the larger collection to which the materials belong.
3. Accession or Collection Number
The equivalent of a library call number used to locate a book.
4. Box Number
The number of the box in which the materials are physically stored.
5. Folder Number
The number of the folder in which the materials are physically stored.
6. Repository and Location
The name of the archives and its geographic location.
