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General Tips for Archival Research
- Many of Mercer's publications like its yearbooks (Kinetoscope and Cauldron) and student newspapers (Orange and Black and The Cluster) have been digitized here. You can always contact an Archivist if you need assistance figuring out what is online on URSA: archives@mercer.edu.
- Our materials do not leave the Archives, so be prepared to use them in the Reading Room under the supervision of a staff member.
- Please use a pencil or your laptop computer to take notes; no pens are allowed.
- Unless otherwise stated, you are welcome to take photographs of our materials without flash.
- It is a good idea to write down which boxes and folders you are using. It is much easier this way to keep track of what materials you have already used and to make it much easier to come back and find specific information later in your research.
- For students doing research for class assignments, please note which class you need assistance with as well as the research question that you've been instructed to work on.
- Do not bring food or drinks into the archive.
Citation of archival materials
- Consult with your professor or editor on their preferred citation style (MLA, APA, etc.)
- Cite published books or serials from the archives as you normally would, given the prescribed citation style
- For archival material, citations usually include the following:
- name of the author/creator
- the title
- the date
- the name of the collection
- names and numbers of boxes and folders
- and the repository: Archives, Jack Tarver Library, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia
- You can find an example citation for archival collections in their finding aids.
- Keep track of your citation information (box and folder number) as you do your research. It will take you a lot of time to re-find a single letter in a box of 200+ letters for your citation.
