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Learning Commons
Learning Commons
Learning Commons
Citing a primary source document, from an archives, varies depending on the preference of your instructor, the publication you are submitting the article, or the discipline in which you are operating.
Archival sources include letters, unpublished manuscripts, limited circulation brochures and pamphlets, in-house institutional and corporate documents, clippings, photographs and any other documents that are in the personal possession of an author, form part of an institutional collection, or are stored in an archive or repository.
Basic Format
Author, A.A. (Year, Month, Day). Title of material. [Description of material]. Name of collection
(Call number, Box number, File number, etc.). Name and location of repository.
Examples
Milne, A.J. (1880, December, 31). Cartoon showing Western Canada up for auction. [Photo].
Archives collection. (Image No: NA-3055-13). Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta.
Barling, E. (n.d.). Interview by J. Opie [Tape recording]. Opie, June: Interviews for a radio
documentary on Frances Hodgkins (AG-583/008). Hocken Collections, Dunedin, N.Z.
Griffin, R. F. (1928, November 2). Report for Colonial Commission. Herbert Otto Roth Papers
(94-106- 01/1). Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, N.Z.
Holland, A. (1914, August 9). [Letter to Stella Holland]. Patrick O’Farrell Papers
(MS 6265/1/21). National Library of Australia, Canberra.
McCahon, C. (1948). Crucifixion [Oil on board]. (Acc: 72/73). Hocken Collections,
Dunedin, N.Z.
The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University offers an online resource which can be used in some cases. However, it does not include everything required for citing sources in one place.
The APA citation style does not cover Canadian government sources, and has only a limited section on American government resources.
Please refer to the staff at the Library Reference Desk for clarification when citing Canadian government sources.