Methods
How to Ask an Archive a Better Question
This field note is part of the FOBA learning stream. It is meant to orient readers and point toward better source work.
Key points
- An archive can answer better when the question includes place, date range, record type, name variants, and the exact claim being tested.
- Instead of asking whether a story is true, ask what record series might show land, labor, school, church, court, military, map, or newspaper evidence.
- A better question protects both the archive worker and the community from premature identity claims.
Next steps
- Write the claim in one sentence.
- List the known places, dates, names, variants, and source types already checked.
- Ask for record series or finding aids, not a certificate of identity or belonging.