How to Research in the Archives

A finding aid is a guide that details the background and contents of individual collections in an archives holdings. Sometimes referred to as a collection guide or an inventory, it contains a basic history on the collection's creator(s), the types of materials the collection contains, and a detailed box and folder list. 

Archives across the Indiana University system use Archives Online to host our finding aids. You can browse finding aids from repositories on each campus or search and refine.

To browse IU Indianapolis materials, select "Explore Repositories" under the image for our campus. Then each collecting area of Special Collections and Archives (General, German American, Philanthropy, and University Archives) will link to their available finding aids. There are also links to finding aids from the Ray Bradbury Center Archives and the Ruth Lilly Medical Library.

To search, use the search bar at the top of the webpage. As you type there may be suggested collections and subjects. These may or may not be helpful. Initial searching provides results from across the IU system. This can be limited to IU Indianapolis under "Campus". You can further limit searches using the left-hand panel including by Creator or Year(s). To search again, it is important to clear the results from your previous search by clicking the link for the Archives Online homepage or "Start Over" just under the search bar.

Finding aids generally start with a major component that archivists call "front matter". Front matter provides basic information on what the collection is about, who created it, its size, dates, and the types of materials included.  Below are basic definitions of the items that make up front matter. Note that not all front matter fields will be viewable on online versions of finding aids. Some will be listed on ArchivesOnline in the 'Overview' tab of each finding while other front matter information can be seen under 'Access'.

Abstract:

• a brief summary of the collection

Scope and Contents:

• a description summarizing the contents of the collection materials and the types of information contained within the collection
• this note can contain information over date ranges, specific types of materials, how it is organized (chronologically or alphabetically), series/subseries, any restrictions, materials removed from the collection, etc.

Dates:

• the date range of a collection
• usually the dates of the oldest and most recent items in a collection

Creator:

• the individual, group, or organization that is responsible for a donation of a collection

Language of Materials:

• lists the language(s) that the collection materials are in

Conditions Governing Access:

• a statement that mentions whether there is any restricted content within the collection that cannot be accessed by researchers

Conditions Governing Use:

• a statement about copyright of the collection as well as any restrictions that involve reproduction or publication of the materials

Biographical/Historical Note:

• can be either a biographical note about a collection over an individual or a historical note about a collection over an institution or an organization

Extent:

• a description of the physical quantity of the collection materials
• we describe our physical collections in cubic feet and our digital collections in gigabytes

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

• includes information over who donated the collection materials and when they were received

Related Materials:

• lists materials from other collections that are related

The inventory or container list [Contents on Archives Online] is the portion of a finding aid that provides the most detail on what is in a collection. This section contains the series, subseries, folder titles, and (some) individual items of a collection.

A series is a group of similar records that are related as a result of being created, received, or used together.  A subseries is a group of similar records that are related within a series.  Depending on the size of a series, there could be multiple subseries within it or none at all. 

Folder Level vs. Item Level

• Majority of our collections are arranged at a folder level.
• The folder title describes the topic the materials inside the folder would be about.
  • ex. An entry labeled Budget Committee-Correspondence, 1955-1960, would be a folder of correspondence from that date span.
• Some important or unique materials, such as artifacts, books, or oversize materials, may be described in the finding aid individually which we refer to as item level.

Some collections contain links to digitized materials.  For archival material available online, Archives Online will have a tab in the finding aid labeled 'Online content'.

To access archival materials, please use the contact information below. Archivists will respond to schedule an appointment and/or to help you with your research topic. They can help identify additional materials that may be useful to your research.

Phone: (317) 274-0464

Email: speccoll@iu.edu

Hours: Monday-Friday: By appointment only

Please contact us at least two days in advance before any in-person visit.