Southern Maryland Studies Center Research

Depending on the individual record and the research topic, you may need to develop the following abilities:

• Ability to analyze how a record is structured and where relevant information (for instance, people’s names) is found.
• Ability to read historical handwriting.
• Ability to understand the language, whether this means an actual foreign language or jargon/abbreviations.
• Ability to use skills for specific types of record, such as map-reading.

You must also assess the relevance of individual records in the wider context of your research, which sometimes means interpreting them with caution. Pay attention to things like:

• Authority—who is the author? What is their point of view?
• Purpose—why was the source created? Who is the intended audience?
• Relevance—how is it relevant to your research? What is its scope?

For more information about using archival resources, check out the library's Primary Sources guide: