Just as with any other source you are quoting or paraphrasing, you want to make sure that you correctly cite archival and special collections primary sources. This is especially important since these materials are often unique and may not be cited or referenced elsewhere. Above all, you want to make sure that anyone reading your work can follow the thread of your research back to the original materials, even down to the box, folder, or drawer.
If you have questions about when to cite or just need a refresher, we encourage you to do the quick Plagiarism Tutorial. Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct and it's always better to be safe than sorry!
Sidenote: If you're interested in using any of the image files in our Digital Archives, see the incredibly helpful guide on Fair Use and Creative Commons for Images (*with thanks to Michele Jennings).
For the most part, whichever style guide you are using to cite your research will provide guidelines on how to cite archival and special collections materials.
Most importantly!:
Keep in mind that published materials such as books, periodicals, and newspapers, of which there are plenty in archival and special collections, get cited according to your style guide, no matter how old they are or which collection they are held in.
Unpublished materials, archival and manuscript materials, can be trickier to cite. In bold below are the key elements you'll want to include, along with some tips to keep in mind:
Correspondence from Jane Coulter to Almyra Brown, December 27, 1847, MSS 18 Brown Family Collection, Box 1 Folder 25, Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries. [see original item]
Portrait of Margaret Boyd, circa 1873, MSS 015 Boyd Family Collection, Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries. [see original item]
Ohio University, Promotional Film, 1947, Ohio University Archives Films, Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries. [see original item]
Leaf from a Book of Hours, France, 1400s, Gilbert and Ursula Farfel Collection of Incunable and Manuscript Leaves, Leaf #011, Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries. [see original item]