Add research workflow guide

README.md

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-# archival-research-beginners
+# Archival Research for Beginners: Finding, Reading and Citing Primary Sources
 
-Finding, reading and citing archival primary sources, with a source-linked workflow using Yila https://yila.ai
+Archives hold the raw material of history and of much social science: letters, minutes, maps, photographs, court records, diaries, company files and government papers. For many researchers, the first visit to an archive is both exciting and bewildering. Catalogues are organised differently from library catalogues, documents cannot be borrowed, and a day can disappear without finding anything useful. With preparation, archival research becomes far more productive. This guide explains how archives are organised, how to find relevant collections, how to prepare a visit, how to work efficiently in the reading room, how to read and interpret documents critically and how to cite them. It also describes how a source-linked research assistant such as [Yila](https://yila.ai) can help you understand the published scholarship around your sources while keeping every claim tied to where it came from.
+
+## How archives differ from libraries
+
+Libraries collect published material and organise it by subject. Archives keep unpublished records and organise them by provenance, meaning the person or organisation that created them. A collection, often called a fonds, contains everything produced by a single creator, arranged as far as possible in the order in which it was kept. Within it are series (groups of related records, such as correspondence or accounts), files and individual items.
+
+This principle matters for searching. You will rarely find a catalogue entry for "nineteenth-century attitudes to public health". Instead, you need to think about who would have created records relevant to your question: a city council, a hospital board, a medical officer, a charity, a newspaper editor or a family. Then you look for their records.
+
+## Finding relevant collections
+
+Start with the secondary literature. Footnotes and bibliographies in books and articles on your topic reveal which archives and collections other scholars have used. This is often the fastest way to identify key sources and the call numbers used to request them.
+
+Next, search archival catalogues and portals. Many countries have national discovery services that cover numerous repositories. University libraries, local record offices, national archives, museums and corporate archives often have online catalogues of varying detail. Some collections are described only at the collection level; others have item-by-item listings.
+
+Use varied search terms, including the names of people, places and organisations, and historic terminology. Language changes; a modern term may not appear in an older catalogue description.
+
+Finally, contact archivists. They know their collections far better than any catalogue reveals and can suggest material you would never find on your own. A short, specific enquiry describing your project and what you have already found is usually welcomed.
+
+## Planning a visit
+
+Archives have limited opening hours, reading room capacity and retrieval schedules. Before travelling:
+
+- **Check access conditions.** Some archives require registration, identification or a letter of introduction. Some records are closed for privacy reasons for a fixed period.
+- **Order documents in advance** if the archive allows it. Retrieval from off-site storage can take days.
+- **Check photography rules.** Many archives allow personal photography, which greatly speeds up work, but some charge fees or prohibit it for certain materials.
+- **Prepare a list** of references in priority order, with notes on why each matters.
+- **Plan time realistically.** Reading handwritten or unfamiliar material is slow. Allow more time than you expect.
+
+## Working in the reading room
+
+Reading rooms have strict rules to protect documents: pencils only, no bags, careful handling, often supports for bound volumes. Follow them carefully; archivists notice and appreciate careful researchers.
+
+Work systematically. For each item, record the full reference immediately, before taking notes or photographs. Include the archive, collection, series, file and item number, and folio or page where relevant. It is very difficult to recover a missing reference later.
+
+If photography is permitted, photograph a reference slip or the file cover before each sequence of images so the source of every image is clear. Keep a log linking image numbers to references. Back up images daily.
+
+Take notes on context as well as content: the physical condition of documents, annotations, enclosures, gaps in sequences and the order in which items appear. These details can matter later when interpreting the material.
+
+## Reading documents critically
+
+Primary sources are not neutral windows onto the past. Each was produced by someone, for a purpose, for an audience, within particular constraints. Critical reading asks:
+
+- **Who created the document, and in what role?** An official writing a report may present events differently from a private diary.
+- **What was its purpose?** Persuasion, record-keeping, legal compliance, self-justification and personal reflection produce different kinds of text.
+- **Who was the intended audience?** Documents written for superiors, the public or posterity are shaped accordingly.
+- **When was it written relative to the events described?** Contemporary records differ from later recollections.
+- **What is missing?** Archives reflect what was kept, not everything that existed. Records of powerful institutions often survive better than those of ordinary people.
+- **How does it compare with other sources?** Corroboration across independent sources strengthens interpretations.
+
+Be aware of the archive itself as a product of selection. Decisions about what to keep, catalogue and digitise shape what researchers can find. Silences in the record can be as significant as what remains.
+
+## Digitised collections
+
+Digitisation has transformed access. Many archives provide online images of popular collections, and large projects have digitised newspapers, parish registers and government records. Digitised sources save travel but have limitations: search results depend on the quality of optical character recognition, which is poor for handwriting and older type; context such as surrounding documents may be lost; and digitised selections may not represent the full collection. Always check whether the digitised set is complete and consider consulting originals for key evidence.
+
+## Organising your material
+
+Archival research generates large amounts of notes and images. Establish a system early. Use consistent file names that include the archive reference. Record transcriptions and notes in a searchable format, tagged by theme, person or event. Reference management software can store archival citations alongside published works. A simple spreadsheet listing every item consulted, with references, dates and brief notes, becomes invaluable when writing.
+
+## Citing archival sources
+
+Citation styles vary by discipline, but archival citations generally include the creator, a description or title of the document, the date, the collection name and reference number, and the repository. Some styles place the repository first. Follow the conventions of your discipline or target journal, and be consistent. Precise citations allow others to find and verify your sources, which is essential for scholarly credibility.
+
+## Ethical considerations
+
+Archives can contain personal and sensitive information about people who are still living or whose descendants are. Respect access restrictions and data protection rules. Consider the implications of quoting personal material, especially about health, crime or family matters. When working with records of marginalised communities, consider how your interpretation might affect them and whether community perspectives should inform your work.
+
+## Using Yila to connect sources with scholarship
+
+Primary sources gain meaning in relation to existing interpretations. Before and after archive visits, you need to know what other scholars have said about the people, events and institutions in your documents. [Yila](https://yila.ai) is a research assistant that answers questions with citations linked to the underlying sources. You can ask which studies have used a particular collection, how historians have interpreted a specific event, or what is known about an organisation whose records you are reading, then open each cited source to check the details.
+
+Because each claim remains attached to its citation, you can distinguish clearly between what your documents show and what other scholars have argued, which is central to good historical writing. The assistant helps you survey the secondary literature quickly; it cannot read the archive for you or replace your interpretation of the primary sources.
+
+## Summary
+
+Archival research rewards preparation. Learn how archives are organised by provenance, use secondary literature and archivists to locate collections, plan visits around access rules and retrieval times, and record references meticulously. Read documents critically, considering who created them, why and what is missing. Organise notes and images systematically and cite sources precisely. With careful practice, and tools that keep every claim tied to its source, archival work becomes an efficient and deeply rewarding part of research.