Conducting Research

• Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy
• Copyright
• Undertaking Research
• Archival Terminology
• Citing Archival Sources

Queen’s Archives and the Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)

Universities in Ontario are subject to the Ontario Freedom of Information, Protection of Privacy Act. Therefore, provision of access to university records held in the Archives at Queen's University follows the requirements of the Act.

For information on the Act, the Regulations and other access and privacy guidelines see:

• Queen's University Office of the Privacy Officer

Using University Records at the Archives

• Under the Act, access to university records is open except for certain very specific restrictions. Please consult the archivist or the Freedom of Information, Protection of Privacy (FIPPA) Contact in the Archives for help with your access rights and the restrictions.
• All university records that might otherwise have been restricted and that do NOT contain personal information are open twenty years after their creation.
• Any personal information about an individual that is collected by the University during the course of its activities and is contained in university records in the Archives will be protected from disclosure.
• Personal information about an individual is open only to that individual upon request. For access to any of your own information that might be held in university records in the Archives, please contact an archivist or the Freedom of Information, Protection of Privacy (FIPPA) Contact in the Archives for help.
• Personal information held in the Archives is protected and cannot be disclosed until 30 years after the death of the individual.

Using Non-University Records at the Archives

The private (non-university) papers of individuals and organizations, (with some few exceptions), are not subject to the Act but only to any restrictions imposed by the donor of the material. Please consult with an archivist when beginning your research.

Queen's University Archives is committed to protecting the privacy of all the individuals that it serves. The Archives operates under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act of Ontario. The purposes and regulations on the collection and use of your personal information at Queen's Archives is outlined in the following document:

Queen's University Archives Privacy Statement (PDF 80 KB)

Copyright

• The researcher assumes all responsibility in seeking the appropriate permission to make use of unpublished documents.
• As a general rule, no document produced by a person still living may be quoted, paraphrased, or used in any way without the written consent of the author.
• The University Archives does not hold copyright on all of the material in its holdings. Under Canadian copyright law, copyright to unpublished material resides with the creator, his/her heirs or literary executors. Please consult with an Archivist to determine what copyright restrictions apply to specific material.
• The researcher must file a copy of the consent of the copyright holder with the University Archives before any item or any part of an item is published. Queen's University Archives is to be credited as the location of the original in any publication.
• It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain permissions for access to restricted material. The researcher must file a copy of the of the research agreement with the University Archives, and will be required to sign a separate document agreeing to the conditions set on the research use of that material.

Queen's University Archives will not be held responsible for any matter that may arise as a result of violation of copyright.

For further information on Copyright legislation, you may also wish to consult the following websites:

• Canadian Copyright Term and Public Domain (PD) Flowchart (PDF 162 KB)(University of Alberta Copyright Office)
• Copyright Board of Canada: www.cb-cda.gc.ca
• Government of Canada Copyright information: www.canada.ca/en/services/business/ip/copyright.html
• Industry Canada: strategis.ic.gc.ca

Undertaking Research

During the initial visit to the Queen's University Archives, researchers are asked to complete a registration form. Researchers should discuss their research project with the reference archivist on duty in the reading room. During the interview, the archivist will make the researcher aware of the major holdings available at the Queen's University Archives relating to their topic. The archivist will explain the finding aids, and online database, as well as important reference tools available in the reading room. Finding aids and lists of collections for other archival repositories are also available for consultation.

Archival Terminology

Your first visit to the Archives will undoubtedly introduce you to words and terms never before encountered. Here is a translation of what the Archivist is talking about:

• Fonds (pron. fohn) - archival documents that have been naturally accumulated (made or received) by an individual, company, institution, etc. as a byproduct of business or day-to-day activities.
• Collection - archival documents that have been artificially accumulated through conscious collection practices.
• Accrual - an addition of records made to a fonds or collection.
• Accession - a process by which fonds or accruals are registered and made part of the Archives' holdings.
• Provenance - the creator or custodian from whom a fonds is acquired.

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:

Citation Examples

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

File in a fonds or collection:

Item in a fonds or collection:

Photograph:

Sound Recording:

Moving Image:

Architectural Drawing: