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Citing Archival Sources

It is very important to correctly cite the archival sources used in any work that will be made available to others. You and future researchers need a complete and accurate citation to access or obtain copies of the same material.

Different disciplines and institutions may require differing citation styles. This guide suggests a style for citing archival records held by the Queen’s University Archives. Each citation is tailored to the archival source being used.

Published sources from the QUA Library can be cited using the standard formats prescribed in guides like The Chicago Manual of Style.

Tip: An accurate citation starts when you order records in the Reading Room.

  • Fill out your request slips with as much information as possible, including the full Location Code, Title and Date of the item being requested. Consult a Reference Archivist for assistance in filling out your request slip.
  • The Location Codes that you fill out are the basis of your citations.

There are two types of citations:

Footnotes/Endnotes

Bibliographic Entries
  • cite the specific source referred to in the work
  • information about the source is arranged from the specific to the general
  • each element of information is separated by a comma
  • list the fonds/series consulted
  • information about the fonds/series is arranged from the general to the specific
  • each element of information is separated by a period

Include the following elements of information in this order:

  1. Description of the item (creator, title, date, if known)
  2. File title, series title and fonds/collection title
  3. Location - as complete as possible, including Locator, Box Number, File Number, and Item Number, if possible

Include the following elements of information in this order:

  1. Repository (Queen’s University Archives)
  2. Location (e.g. 5009-8-2, or V28-A-Foot-1955-1)
  3. Fonds and series titles
  4. Optional – Description of the item (creator, title, date). Use this option to specify a source if a corresponding footnote or endnote was not used.

Citation Examples

(N) - Footnote/Endnote Citation (B) – Bibliographic Entry

File in a fonds or collection:

N

2 Kenyan Pottery, 1986, Exhibition files series, Agnes Etherington Art Centre fonds,  Locator 3737-1-18, Queen’s University Archives.

B

Queen’s University Archives. Locator 3737. Agnes Etherington Art Centre fonds. Exhibition files series.

Item in a fonds or collection:

N

6 Letter from Thoreau MacDonald to Lorne Pierce, 1938 June 28, Correspondence series, Lorne Pierce fonds,  Locator 2001-7-2-35, Queen’s University Archives.

B

Queen’s University Archives. Locator 2001. Lorne Pierce fonds. Correspondence series.

Photograph:

N

13 Douglas Library [photograph], ca. 1936, Buildings series, Queen’s Picture Collection, V28-B-Doug-13, Queen’s University Archives.

B

Queen’s University Archives. V28-B. Queen’s Picture Collection. Buildings series.

Sound Recording:

N

1 Special Convocation to Honour Franklin Delano Roosevelt [sound recording], Aug. 18, 1938, Queen’s University Convocation collection, SR 161, Queen’s University Archives.

B

Queen’s University Archives. SR 161. Queen’s University Convocation collection.

Moving Image:

N

24 Football Playoffs - Queen's (11) vs. McGill (0) [motion picture film], 1961, Football films series, Frank Tindall fonds, MI 125.18, Queen’s University Archives.

B

Queen’s University Archives. MI 125. Frank Tindall fonds. Football films series.

Architectural Drawing:

N

12 Design of a private residence for Dr. McCammon (Kingston) [architectural drawing], 23 May 1882, Robert Gage Drawings series, Kingston Architectural Drawings collection, VO 36-35(xv), Queen’s University Archives.

B

Queen’s University Archives. VO 36-35. Kingston Architectural Drawings collection. Robert Gage Drawings series.