Citing Materials From the Collection in Your Work
Footnotes and other references to unique source materials held in repositories such as the Social Welfare History Archives are comparable to those for conventional published sources, i.e., books and articles, in that they require an accurate title or characterization to identify the item. Additionally, though, references to archival materials should indicate the item's location, because it likely can be found only in that one place.
SWHA Format for Citations:
Although publishers or institutions may prescribe their own style, the following sequence of elements is recommended for archival materials held in the collection:
Identifying the Document
A brief title or characterization, together with the date if possible, should suffice. (Identifying information contained in the text need not to be repeated in the footnote.) Example:
Letter: Helen Hall to Bert Beck, January 17, 1963
Report: "Playgrounds in New York City: What needs to Be Done?" October 1938
Diary: Beatrice Bernhagen daily journal, July 14, 1937
Minute Book: American Federation for Sex Hygiene, board of directors minutes, June 28, 1912.
Identifying the Document's Location
This information typically includes three elements: the name and location of the repository, the name of the collection within the repository, and the location of the item within the collection.
Repository Name
Social Welfare History Archives, University of Minnesota. In all but the first citation this can be shortened to SWHA.
Collection Title
The name of the organization or individual who created the records, followed by the work "records" (for organizations), "papers" (for individuals), or "supplement" (for records or papers received after the original shipment from that donor had been processed, and treated as a separate entity). If in doubt, see the Social Welfare History Archives Guide to Holdings or consult the curator. Examples:
Paul Kellogg papers
Survey Associates records
National Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, supplement two
Document Location Within the Collection
This element is the most variable, depending on the condition of the collection. For collections that have been fully processed, i.e., those with a detailed inventory and numbered containers and folders, use the folder number. For collections under preliminary control, do not use box numbers because these may change as processing continues. Instead, report the folder title or the series within which the item was found. The size and complexity of the collection will dictate the amount of detail necessary to define the location. If the identification of the document itself provides a clear indication of its location, no additional information need be provided. Consult with the curator as necessary. Examples:
folder 938, National Association of Social Workers records
box 27, folder 7 (alternatively - folder 27:7), American Social Health Association records
(Early collections had folders numbered consecutively throughout the collection, and do not require reference to the box number; those processed more recently start the folder numbering sequence within each box.)"Opposition" folder, Abortion Rights Council records
Predecessor Organization series, Annual Meetings files, Council on Social Work Education records
Membership Committee files, Young Women's Christian Association of Minneapolis records
Format for Citations
Although publishers or institutions may prescribe their own style, the following sequence of elements is recommended: document identification; document location; collection title; repository name. Subsequent citations may be shortened by abbreviations and by elimination of repetitive elements. Examples:
Paul Kellogg to Beulah Amidon, July 29, 1951, folder 639, Survey Associates records, Social Welfare History Archives (hereafter cited as SWHA), University of Minnesota.
"A Sociological Study of the Enlisted Men of the Regular Army with Suggestions for the Protection of the Young National Soldier against Moral Degeneracy and Diseases of Vice," folder 131:3, American Social Health Association (hereafter ASHA) records, SWHA.
The Report and Recommendations of the Bridgeport Vice Commission (Bridgeport, Conn., 1916), p. 31, contained in folder 3:15, ASHA records, SWHA.
Citing Published Materials Found in the Archives
Pamphlets, published reports, and newspaper clippings should be identified in terms of their location (as done in the example immediately above) if they likely would be difficult to find elsewhere or if their location in that particular context is deemed to be significant. Items found in the SWHA pamphlet collection may be cited as follows:
American Association of Social Workers, A Tentative Code of Ethics for Social Workers, 1948, found in Social Welfare History Archives pamphlet collection.
Citing Microfilm Editions
Use a format similar to that for original materials, but report the repository home of both the original records and the microfilm edition. Example:
List of Volunteers, 1892-1906, Roll 15, University Settlement Society records, State Historical Society of Wisconsin microfilm edition. Copy at Social Welfare History Archives.