Ask questions.
"Don't be afraid to ask library/archives staff questions! Archives, like many other aspects of learning to research, can have an overwhelming amount of information and jargon unique to the field or the institution; it can take some practice and/or help to find the materials that are most helpful for your research question(s). Most archivists and librarians are happy to answer questions or assist with the research process, though- whether it be scheduling a research appointment, identifying which resources could have the information you need (at their library or elsewhere), starting to interpret the contents of the archival materials, or citing those materials." - Sarah Lundy and Nicole Buday, Hope College Archives and Special Collections
"My advice for first time researchers is [...] to contact us if they have any questions at all! Archives are not self explanatory and we are happy to help. We do not expect researchers to know exactly what they are looking for and how to use all of our systems." - Caitlin Moriarty, Bentley Historical Library
"Don’t be afraid of asking archivists for help or advice on what materials to look at or how to narrow the scope of your research. It is our job to help researchers navigate through our collections and we might have some creative ways of searching for things or know other collections that tie in to your topic. It’s also the most fun part of the job." - Jen Vos, Calvin University
Know the archive.
"Review the Archive's website prior to visiting or making an appointment. This can let you know rules of that particular archive, i.e. what you can or cannot bring to do research, whether or not they do scans or charge for scans, etc. Their website might also point you to digitized resources that are available or published Finding Aids." - Elizabeth Palmer, Albion College Archives and Special Collections
"Know and abide by the repositories rules/regulations concerning use of the resources. There is usually a reason why there are limitations. Do your secondary research before trying to use primary source materials. Learn to use the repositories available finding aids." - Jim Ford, Center for Adventist Research
"Spend as much time as needed reviewing finding aids and identifying a priority list of boxes before you visit." - Kristen Chinery, Wayne State University
Know what you're researching.
"My advice is to determine exactly what questions you are trying to answer ahead of time and set reasonable expectations based on those. It is easy to become overwhelmed and fall down rabbit holes (even Archivists do it all the time!). Decide which questions are a priority and identify collections that seem to be most useful to answer those first. Research will lead you down many different paths, but beginning with an initial plan will ensure your time is used efficiently and effectively." - Lauren Brady, Benson Ford Research Center
"Come prepared by having your topic well thought out and feasible – discuss with your advisor; right down any questions you may want to ask so they are well thought out." - Mark Bowden, Detroit Public Library
"Before browsing any archived materials, clarify and narrow your research topic." - Nathaniel Arndts, Albion District Library
Talk to the archivist.
"Talk to the Archivist. Explain what you're looking for and ask questions. They know their collections better than anyone else, and might be able to point you to options for your research that you were unaware of." Elizabeth Palmer, Albion College Archives and Special Collections
"I recommend talking to myself or the other staff and volunteers. We know the collection and can often guide you to resources that you may not have considered." - Beth Gruber, Marquette Regional History Center
Make an appointment.
"Make an appointment. Most Archives have small staffs, or even have a staff of one. You need to make an appointment and give notice so that the staff is able to properly assist you. Alternatively, some Archives are so big that not all of their materials are stored on site. They will need extra time to retrieve anything you're interested in researching." - Elizabeth Palmer, Albion College Archives and Special Collections
"Read the logistics information on the website carefully and don’t hesitate to email if you have questions. We know the process can be confusing. If you are traveling or taking vacation time to facilitate your visit, definitely contact the archive ahead of time to make sure all your ducks are in a row. It is heartbreaking to have someone arrive in the reading room, having flown across the country, only to find that the materials of interest are all in offsite storage. " - Juli McLoone, University of Michigan Special Collections
Prioritize time.
"Give yourself more time than you think you will need. Archival research is a marathon and not a sprint. Depending on what you're looking for and the amount of materials available, it may take a very long time to uncover the information." Elizabeth Palmer, Albion College Archives and Special Collections
"Try to be patient and organized during the research process. Archival research can be a bit time-intensive, for both researchers and archives staff. Often finding the most applicable materials for a research project, or making materials available to researchers in new ways, requires a good bit of work for archivists before the researcher ever arrives at the archives. It also can take researchers several hours, days, or even weeks to review archival materials and take notes or order copies, depending on the project. If you need to take a break, investigate a follow-up question, or revise your research question, that's okay. This is particularly important when archival materials aren't available or when you've been focused on research for awhile." - Sarah Lundy and Nicole Buday, Joint Archives of Holland
"Let the archivist know the scope of your research, what sources you have already used, and be ready to prioritize your time. Most researchers will request more materials than they have sufficient time to review." - James Hanks, Detroit Institute of Arts
Be persistent.
"For first time researchers, I would encourage them not to be discouraged if it feels like they are hitting a wall. Sometimes research questions need to be tackled at a different angle. Sometimes you can spend ages on a single question with what feels like nothing to show for it, but this is no wasted effort. Take a break, regroup, and keep going. You might find exactly the thing you're looking for in the last place you check." - Reference Department at the Peter White Public Library
"Researchers, even museum professionals, have to be comfortable with the fact that our thesis/argument is wrong. Materials may contradict our arguments, and we have to be able to accept that and adapt." - Brenda Nemetz, Lakeshore Museum Center
"My advice for first time researchers is to assume that information on historical topics will exist in multiple formats/sources, and that most questions will require persistence. Very few local history topics can be understood using a single monograph or study. Sometimes history does not serve up an easy ‘answer’ to a question. Also, do not assume that there will be either primary or secondary resources on a particular subject of interest. Local history research requires a fair amount of digging, that more times than not, will require both time and doggedness." - Ryan Gage, Kalamazoo Public Library
Document everything.
"My advice for first-time researchers is when trying to find out an answer to your question don't rely on a single source to prove it. An example is one source does not mean that that is the end of your search. Try to find multiple sources to back up your findings. Often we come across individuals who have a single source to back up a claim and think that's all they need to prove something. The search can be just as fun, and enlightening, as finding the answer! " - Don LaBarre, Alpena District Library
"I recommend getting the citation for every item you look at, even if you think you won't use it in your project. We commonly have students calling us the day before a project is due because they didn't write down the citation for a source." - Beth Gruber, Marquette Regional History Center
"I encourage everyone to use OneDrive or its equivalent with a scanner app for your phone; this will enable you to document archival provenance while reviewing a large quantity of documents. Authoritative, trustworthy bibliographic documentation is essential when writing your research papers, so take great care to record metadata/citations accurately." - James Hanks, Detroit Institute of Arts