Citing Archival Sources

Researchers should take note of the material they are using for their research so it can be easily retrieved by Archives staff at a later date.

Records must be cited in footnotes, bibliographies and in research notes, even if publication is not intended. When taking notes from archival sources, it is important to identify clearly the specific document(s) used–:

Footnote Citation Format

name of archives, name of fonds (i.e., creator of the record), name of record series (if relevant), name of subseries (if relevant), fonds number / series number / subseries number, location number-box number-file number, page number (as relevant), document description.

Footnote example:

United Church of Canada Archives, Methodist Church (Canada) Missionary Society fonds, Correspondence of the General Secretaries, Correspondence of T.E. Egerton Shore, fonds 14/2/6, 1978.093C-box 2-file 6, T.H. Jones to T.E. Egerton Shore, 1908 August 20.

Where microfilm of materials owned by this Archives has been substituted for originals, as a protective conservation measure, the citation should be the same as that of the original document — but with the reel number added after location-box-file number (eg. microfilm reel 3).

Footnote example with microfilm:

Bibliographic Citation Format

When listing primary sources used in a bibliography, a shorter citation is all that is required.

name of archives, name of fonds (i.e., creator of the record), name of series, name of subseries, (if relevant), fonds number / series number / subseries number.

Bibliographic citation example:

United Church of Canada Archives, Methodist Church (Canada) Missionary Society fonds, Correspondence of the General Secretaries, Correspondence of T.E. Egerton Shore, Fonds 14/2/6.

Citation for Photographs

location number/item number title of photograph / statement of responsibility, date of creation.

Example of citation for photographs:

1991.110P/1 Children at Council, Sudbury, Ontario / Wolf Kutnahorsky, Berkeley Studio, 1986. United Church of Canada Archives.

In all cases: If there is no fonds number, please use location number.