Keeping Research Notes and Citing Sources

The problem notes solve

Research rarely happens in one sitting. Weeks later, a note that reads “built in 1892” is almost useless if you cannot remember whether it came from a deed, a pamphlet or a conversation. Good research notes let you, and anyone who reads your work, return to the original evidence and check it.

The core rule is simple: write down where a fact came from at the moment you record the fact.

What every note should include

For each piece of information, capture:

• The fact or quotation, in your own words or in exact quotation marks.
• The source, with enough detail to find it again.
• The location in the source, such as page, volume, item number or timestamp.
• The date you consulted it, which matters for websites and digital collections that change.
• A confidence note, such as whether it is a primary record or a later retelling.

Do not trust yourself to reconstruct these details later. A few seconds of care at the desk saves hours of searching.

Keep facts and interpretation apart

Mark clearly what the source says and what you think it means. A common method is to keep two kinds of note:

1. Extracts: exact quotations or close summaries, labeled with the source.
2. Comments: your reasoning, doubts and questions, labeled as yours.

This prevents a hunch from drifting into a fact. If a directory lists a person at an address, the extract records the listing; your comment might say that a move that year is possible but unconfirmed.

Quote exactly when wording matters, including original spelling, and use a marker such as “[sic]” or brackets for your own insertions. When you paraphrase, say so in your note.

A simple source log

Alongside your notes, keep one list of every source you consult, including those that turned out useless. A basic table or spreadsheet with a row for each source works well. Useful columns are:

Recording negative results helps. If you searched a record and found nothing, write down what you searched, how and when. That prevents repeated work and shows a reader what has already been tried.

Citing different kinds of sources

No single format is required for personal local history work, but being consistent matters, and some publications or institutions have their own style guides. Whatever the style, record the same core elements.

Books and articles. Author, title, place and publisher or journal, year, and page numbers.

Census records. The census year, the place and enumeration district or page, and the line or household number. If you used a transcription or an index, record that as well, since transcription errors occur.

Deeds and land records. Grantor, grantee, date, book and page, and the office where the record is held.

Directories. Title, year, publisher and page, along with the section of the volume.

Newspapers. Newspaper title, place, date, page and column, and whether you read the original, a microfilm or a digitized copy.

Maps and atlases. Title, publisher, date, plate or sheet number, and the scale if given.

Photographs. Collection, item number, creator, date and caption, along with the holding archive.

Interviews. Name of the person interviewed, interviewer, date and place, a description of the recording, and where the recording and consent form are kept.

Websites. Author or organization, page title, address, and the date you accessed it. Save a copy when the content matters, because pages move or vanish.

Organizing files

Choose a system you can keep up with. Some practical habits:

• Use a consistent file name pattern, such as year, source and subject.
• Save images of documents, with a note of where the original is kept.
• Back up your notes in more than one place.
• Keep the source log in the same folder as the notes.
• Use dates in a single format, such as year-month-day, to keep files in order.

Whether you work on paper, in a notebook, in a text file or in a database matters less than whether you use it every time. Paper index cards and digital note apps both work.

Photographing and copying records

Many archives allow photographs of documents, but rules differ, and some restrict copying or publication. Ask first, follow the stated policy and record the permission. When you photograph a page, include the title page or label in a shot so the copy identifies itself, and photograph the page with its number visible.

Copying a record does not replace citing it. Your note must still say which original it came from.

Footnotes, endnotes and source lists

When you write your account, the notes let readers check your claims. Place a short citation after any specific fact that a reader might doubt: a date, a name, a figure, a quotation. For a short article, a list of sources at the end may be enough; for longer work, numbered notes are clearer. The question to ask is whether a skeptical reader could find the original from what you have written.

This approach also supports the broader principles of source evaluation: if you cannot say where a claim came from, it cannot be assessed.

Common mistakes

• Copying a claim from a website without noting the website.
• Citing a secondary book for a fact when you actually saw the original record, or the reverse.
• Mixing your own comments into quoted text.
• Losing page numbers.
• Citing a digital copy as if it were the original without saying so.
• Forgetting to note uncertainty, such as an unclear handwriting reading.

Reviewing as you go

At the end of each session, spend a few minutes tidying: confirm every note has a source, add anything missing while memory is fresh, and list what to look up next. This small routine, repeated, is what turns a pile of observations into research that others can rely on, and it supports the overall method described in the guide to local history research.