Methodology
How the archive turns documents into research paths.
A useful archival description should answer four questions: What is the record? Where did it come from? Why might it matter? How can a reader find or cite it?
Methodology for source handling, metadata publication, and archival description at Ball Archives.
Start with the document
Descriptions begin with the record itself and the evidence of its origin: title, date, creator, collection, identifier, and any known relationship to other materials.
When the record is an official publication, the description points to that edition. When it comes from a family or personal collection, the page identifies the available provenance without exposing unrelated material.
Keep fact and interpretation distinct
Record pages state what a document is and where it belongs. Research findings go a step further by connecting several records to answer a focused question.
Interpretive claims are tied to named records and dates. Gaps are stated openly when the available evidence cannot establish a complete biography, chronology, or explanation.
Describe availability plainly
A link marked Read on GovInfo leads to a complete official volume. A page marked Description and citation available does not provide a downloadable copy.
Rights notes explain whether the record may be quoted, reproduced, or requires further permission. Availability and permission are related but not identical.
Keep citations durable
Record and collection URLs are intended to remain stable. Descriptions may improve as new evidence appears, but a citation should continue to resolve to the same page.
Significant corrections to identity, provenance, or rights are dated rather than silently replacing the earlier understanding.