The following pages hold information for users regarding how archives organize their material, supplies users with definitions of archival terminology and explains why certain material may be restricted.
This is a great place to start if you are new to archival research!
Confused by the weird terminology archivists and records managers use? Visit the Archival Terminology page for some information on some often used terms.
Organization of archival material
Archives organize their material in a very different way to libraries and museums. Review the organization of archival material page for some information on how archives make material available to users.
Confused as to what all the headings in a finding aid are? Not really sure how to tell if the material can be used for your research? Understanding finding aids will break down the different finding aid components and provide an explanation of what information is held in each section.
This page provides an overview regarding the citation of archival sources. Citing archival sources is important so the Archives can located the sources you’ve used should someone ask.
Researchers may ask why certain material is not available to the public. There are multiple reasons why this may be the case. The Copyright and Restrictions page outlines the major reasons for material restriction.
With more and more material available online, users often wonder why archivist’s don’t just digitized everything and put it online. There are many reasons we cannot do this. Check out Why Don’t Archives Digitize Everything?
A short guide to archivists work and the steps the files undergo to become available.
A list of the different records that are considered archival.
An overview of how transfers of analogue material mirrors the transfer of digital General Council material.
