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Archival Research Tutorial: Choosing Your Topic

Archival materials give you direct access to the time or event you are studying. The goal of this guide is to help you conduct research at the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections at York University Libraries.

Choosing Your Topic

Visiting an archives usually comes later in the research process because archives contain raw materials, much like the ingredients in a recipe. When you don't have a clear idea of what you are looking for, doing research may become overwhelming.
   
Choosing, focusing and refining your topic are the first steps to take in any research process.

For example:

 You may begin with the topic:

>Community activism and urban development
   
To focus your topic and make the most of the time you have available you may decide to focus on a particular area, community or time period, say:
           
>>Community activism and urban development in Toronto in the 20th century
                 
Depending on the length and breadth of the assignment, you may wish to refine you topic further after conducting some preliminary research, for example:

>>>Community activism and urban development in Metro Toronto from 1950-1970


Once you have refined your topic, you may wish to consult a range of records in a variety of formats, for example, photographs, archival materials and thematic guides, pamphlets, brochures and other published materials

Additional examples of focusing and refining your topic:

Literary
Original research topic:

>Canadian literature and the diasporic experience

>>Canadian literature and the South Asian diasporic experience in the 20th century

>>>Canadian literature and the South Asian diapsoric experience in the 20th Century, as reflected in the Desh Pardesh Festival.

Historical
Original research topic:

>Labour History in Canada

>>Trade Unions and strikes in Ontario in the 20th century

>>>Trade Unions and strikes in Ontario from 1940-1999

   
To focus your topic, ask questions like Who, What, Where and When.

This could mean focusing on a particular time frame or series of events, a particular geographical area, community or neighbourhood, a distinct group, business, historical figure, or family.
     
     
Realistic expectations

Be realistic about your time and the length of the assignment.  Is the assignment 300 pages? 10 pages?
When is your assignment due? Do you have 1 year, 8 weeks or 4 days?

To identify archival holdings potentially relevant to your topic, it is helpful to do background research.