Proper citation should not be an afterthought that you consider only at the end of your project. Citation is an integral part of the entire research process, and it begins when you first use the materials. Once you leave the repository, it is very difficult to retrace the steps of your manuscript research. Trying to gather citation information at the last minute may leave you scrambling and will increase the likelihood of sloppy or inaccurate citations.
When you find a relevant manuscript, gather all the information that identifies the material and its location. You should record the following information as you are using the materials:
| Citation Information | Example |
| Author | Andrew Jackson |
| Recipient (if applicable) | Joshua Baker |
| Date | 10 December 1814 |
| Collection Name | Ker Family Papers |
| Collection Number (if applicable) | #4656 |
| Box and/or Folder Number | Folder 3 |
| Name and Location of Repository | Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
After collecting this information, you will then enter it into a citation. The Manuscripts Department suggests the following citation formats based on the Chicago Manual of Style:
- For items in the Southern Historical
Collection:
From Andrew Jackson to Joshua Baker, 10 December 1814, Folder 3, in the Ker Family Papers #4656, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. - For items in the Southern Oral History Program
Collection:
Interview with Katharine DuPre Lumpkin by Jacquelyn Hall, 4 August 1974 (G-34), in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007), Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. - For items in University Archives:
From the Student Organizations and Activities: Dialectic Society Records, Series 1, Minutes, Volume 1, 2 March 1978 in University Archives, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. - For items in the Southern Folklife
Collection:
From the Gid Tanner Artist File #NF1996, Southern Folklife Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
While these formats are preferred by the Manuscripts Department, the exact structure of your citations will depend on the style guide you use. Common styles include:
- APA
- MLA
- Chicago Manual of Style
Most writers cite their sources in footnotes, endnotes, or parentheses within the text.