Research Guides: Research in FSU Special Collections & Archives : Understanding Search Results

Understanding Search Results

Types of Sources

Primary Source: material that contains firsthand accounts of events and that was created contemporaneous to those events or later recalled by an eyewitness.

When utilizing primary sources, it is helpful to conduct an evaluation of the author and the nature of their perspective before considering it a useful piece of evidence. Consider these questions: What is the author’s background? Why did they produce this document? Who was their intended audience? Are you viewing the entirety of the document? Are there other perspectives to consider?
Refer to the libguide linked below for more information about primary sources.

Secondary Source: A work that is not based on direct observation of or evidence directly associated with the subject, but instead relies on sources of information.

SAA's Definition of a Primary Source
SAA's Definition of a Secondary Source
Primary Sources: A Guide
A guide to identifying and locating primary sources for conducting research in history

Helpful Definitions

Call number - A unique combination of letters and numbers used to identify an item and to facilitate storage and retrieval.

Finding aid - a description that typically consists of contextual and structural information about an archival resource

Facsimile - A reproduction that simulates the appearance of the original as closely as possible.

International Standard Book Numbering (ISBN) - A standard ten to thirteen-digit number used to uniquely identify books.

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) - A standard eight-digit number used to uniquely identify serial publications, including electronic serials.

Journal - A periodical, especially one of a scholarly nature or published for a professional group.

Metadata - information about data that promotes discovery, structures data objects, and supports the administration and preservation of records. Metadata may be embedded or external. It may be applied at a variety of levels of granularity and during different periods in the life cycle of data. It is typically demarcated and standardized, and it often provides context.

SAA's Dictionary of Archives Terminology
These definitions have been sourced from SAA's Dictionary of Archives Terminology. This is a useful tool for understanding any other archives related jargon you may come across in your research.

Location of Materials

Now that you have located materials you would like to view in-person, make sure you know where to go to see them! FSU Special Collections & Archives serves materials in two different readng room locations and also store materials offsite.