Historians and the Use of Primary Source Materials in the Digital Age

Abstract

This study examines how academic historians search for, access, and use primary source materials in their research pursuits. Recruited historians completed an online questionnaire about current information practices and potential information needs in archival settings. The results shed light on the most frequent methods historians use to search for primary source materials; the types of primary source documents they are most likely to use; whether they access materials online or in person; their use of digitized archival collections; factors they consider important in their decision to use archival collections; and what might prevent them from using collections.

Information Competencies of Historians as Archive Users: A Slovenia/UK Comparison

“…element 3.2.2 Administrative/Biographical history from ISAD(g) prepared by archivists) and include them into their work without proper citing; this finding is in contrast to other studies [8,29,30], which all noted that the archivist's help was appreciated.…”

“…Huvila [4] found that the empirical approach to studying archival users, in many cases historians, has strengthened in the new millennium, coincident with an increase in digital material in archives. These studies have generally used mixed qualitative and quantitative methods, including paper-based and web-based surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, diaries, log analysis, and experiments [5,6,7,8].…”

“…Chassanoff claimed that it is not possible to identify from the literature which would be historians' preferred search and retrieval strategies in archival settings [8], However, she also found that historians' preferred ways of locating primary sources are finding aids, archivists and citation linking; the methods deemed most useful are not necessarily the most frequently used, due to experience, availability, etc. She also argued that "rather than focusing solely on frequency of use, or facilitating better search and retrieval methods, archivists should consider how information needs adapt and change as new knowledge is acquired.…”

“…Among the most valued sources were finding aids, footnotes, and archivists; most preferred to use the original format of materials, but also valued electronic access and digital reproduction. Chasanoff also investigated academic historians, using a web survey, finding an awareness of, and interest in, new technological developments, the quality of digitized materials, and recognition of the archivists' expertise in the digital environment [8]. Sinn and Soares found that historians' sources of information about the existence of digital archival collections were mainly informal and personal [9].…”

Information management in the humanities: Scholarly processes, tools, and the construction of personal collections

“…Although reference librarians are underutilized as a resource in the scholarly process, research shows that humanities scholars are heavily reliant upon archivists for finding and locating primary source material (Delgadillo & Lynch, ; Johnson & Duff, ; Rutner & Schonfeld, ; Wiberley & Jones, ). Although humanities scholars have embraced the use of electronic information resources for searching, some skepticism remains about the use of digital texts and online digital collections of archival material as source data (Brockman et al, ; Bulger et al, ; Chassanoff, ; Palmer & Neumann, ; Sinn & Soares, ).…”