Turn a question into a search for the original material that can help answer it. Keep the item, its creator and context, the route to it and the limits of what you inspected together in one research record.
Evidence checked October 17, 2026 (America/Denver). Version 1.0. Original-source desk review; no practical testing.
What this guide helps you do
An introductory discovery and provenance guide. The reviewed sources are public gateways and teaching guidance. No individual archival item, dataset or legal record was retrieved or assessed, and no reuse permission or comprehensive search result is established.
Define the question and the evidence it needs
Write the question in a form that identifies the person, place, period, event or measurement involved. Ask what sort of original material could answer it: a document, photograph, interview, record, dataset or direct observation. A primary source is primary in relation to the research question. An original item still has an author, purpose, perspective and possible errors. A later account may help locate it or understand its context. Source: Library of Congress primary-source finding and context guides.
Search with variants and collection knowledge
List names, earlier place names, alternative spellings, dates and related subject terms. The Library of Congress guide describes curated sets, catalog searching, filters, subject headings and related records. Try the terms that the collection uses and keep a short search log. A missing search result can reflect description, terminology, digitization or collection coverage; it does not establish that the event or record never existed. Source: Library of Congress primary-source finding and context guides.
Distinguish a finding aid from the actual record
A catalog entry, finding aid or collection description may tell you where material exists without displaying the material itself. NARA’s gateway links several tools suited to different records, including its Catalog, databases and record-group information. Record which level you reached and what can actually be inspected. If access requires staff help, a visit, reproduction or another arrangement, keep that as an unresolved access step rather than describing the item as read. Source: National Archives online research tools.
Follow data to the responsible publisher
Data.gov explains that it catalogs metadata while the source agencies maintain the underlying datasets. Open the publisher and Access and Use information for the actual candidate. Record the dataset title, version/date, coverage, units, definitions, method and terms when available. A catalog rank or a downloadable link is not a quality assessment. Nonfederal data can have different licensing conditions. Do not treat a description as though the data had been analyzed. Source: Data.gov user guide.
Read the item in context and keep provenance
When the material is available, record its creator, creation date, version, repository, stable identifier and exact locator. Note whether it is an original, a scan, transcription, extract or later edition and what pages or fields you inspected. Separate visible observations from your interpretation. Consider purpose, audience, missing parts and what other evidence might corroborate or challenge the account. Check item-level reuse conditions before reproducing it. Source: Library of Congress primary-source finding and context guides.
Leave a route another reader can follow
Keep the search terms, consulted collections, actual item links, dates checked and a concise explanation of what supports the answer. Mark inaccessible, missing or uncertain material explicitly. Save permitted notes or copies with source context so that a later reader can find the same passage. If the question remains open, identify the next collection, responsible publisher, archivist or librarian to ask and the specific gap their help could address. Source: National Archives online research tools. Source: Data.gov user guide.
A record you can use
| Record | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Question and source type | Bounded question, period/place, needed original material and likely creator. |
| Search route | Collections, names/spellings/subjects, filters, search dates and results. |
| Access level | Catalog/finding aid/item distinction, inspected material and unresolved access steps. |
| Provenance | Creator, date/version, repository, stable ID, locator and original/scan/transcript status. |
| Meaning and limits | Observation, interpretation, purpose, missing parts, corroboration and reuse conditions. |
| Handover | Answer supported so far, permitted notes/copies, gaps and next expert or collection. |
Learning route
- Ask: Name the question and source type.
- Find: Search collections with variants.
- Inspect: Read the item and its context.
- Trace: Keep provenance and open gaps.
Checklist
- The question names the evidence it needs.
- Search terms and collection coverage are recorded.
- Descriptions and actual inspected items are distinguished.
- Creator, date/version and exact locator travel with notes.
- Interpretation and reuse conditions are checked separately.
- Another reader can follow the evidence and unresolved gaps.
Resources and their limitations
Library of Congress primary-source finding and context guides
Library of Congress primary-source finding and context guides — Library of Congress
Use. Use curated sets and searches with names, spelling variants, dates, formats and subject headings. Read the actual item and its description; distinguish what is observed from an inference and corroborate the interpretation.
Access and cost. Public HTML reading. Accounts, equipment, subscriptions, services and access to linked material may have separate conditions; none purchased or tested.
Review and limits. Teacher-oriented framework adapted for general research. The historical definition does not make every original document true or every government record decisive. Collection coverage and copyright limit online material. No individual item, catalog query, librarian request or reuse permission checked. Linked lesson files and videos were not reviewed.
Reviewed pages: Finding Primary Sources | Getting Started with Primary Sources | Teachers | Programs | Library of Congress · Getting Started with Primary Sources | Teachers | Programs | Library of Congress
National Archives online research tools
National Archives online research tools — US National Archives and Records Administration
Use. Use the Catalog, finding aids, record groups, agency guides or electronic-record search appropriate to the question. Record whether the result is an actual object/file or information about a holding.
Access and cost. Public HTML reading. Accounts, equipment, subscriptions, services and access to linked material may have separate conditions; none purchased or tested.
Review and limits. Tools gateway only. Not all records are online; further staff contact, a visit or other research arrangements may be needed. No actual query, record retrieval, visit, reproduction fee or access restriction checked. Historic collection counts are not repeated as current inventory.
Data.gov user guide
Data.gov user guide — Data.gov / US General Services Administration
Use. Use searches and filters to identify a candidate, inspect Access and Use and publisher/contact information, then obtain and evaluate the underlying data from its responsible source.
Access and cost. Public HTML reading. Accounts, equipment, subscriptions, services and access to linked material may have separate conditions; none purchased or tested.
Review and limits. Data.gov is a metadata catalog rather than the host of the underlying data; agencies maintain their datasets. A catalog listing or ranking does not establish quality, completeness, availability or fitness. Nonfederal terms can differ. No dataset queried, downloaded, analyzed or licensed for a particular reuse.
Historical starting point
The Spring 1969 An Introduction to Scientific Research review describes a practical research book with references for further information. This supports the historical question of how a reader follows a research claim to its underlying material. Today’s archive and data-catalog discovery, item-level provenance and reuse checks are explicit extensions. The listed book itself and its references were not read or independently validated. Locator: Whole Earth Catalog — Spring 1969, PDF page 122, printed page 120.
Related guides
- Household and community libraries — browse the Public Library
- Checking claims and comparing evidence — browse the Public Library
- Archives, oral history and local knowledge — browse the Public Library
Last substantive desk review: October 17, 2026. Sources retain their own dates and geographic limits. Local services and individual products require a fresh check at the time of use. For a correction, retain the page title, source and passage in question.
