General search guidance
Searching for archival material can be fun and extremely rewarding. However, it can also be frustrating so patience and time are absolute necessities. Just because you can’t find what you are looking for quickly or easily, doesn’t mean that relevant archives don’t exist.
Finding what is there – bear in mind that:
Dates
The dates shown for an archival description indicate when the item was created; it may be an estimate.
Spelling
Historical spellings are not always consistent – you can try searching for multiple versions of the same term by using the wildcard *, for example M*cDonald searches for MacDonald and McDonald, or by using these Boolean tips.
Remember that place names and boundaries have changed a lot throughout history, so check to see if the place you are looking for had a different name in the past.
Catalogue terms
If you are unsure what a description you have found means, have a look at our catalogue explainer, video guide to searching, and glossary of archival terms.
Ask an archivist
Not all the information about a collection is always in the catalogue listing. When in doubt, contact the archivist by clicking on the name of the holding repository to find out the repository’s contact information.
How archival collections are listed
Archival collections are usually listed in a hierarchy. This gives a summary description of a whole group of archival papers followed by more detailed descriptions of smaller sections of the collection below – it can look a bit like a family tree.
This description ‘level’ will be indicated in the catalogue description – if you are looking at a lower level description, such as for a single item, you can find out more about the collection, associated people or historical context by looking at the series or collection description.
When a description relates to a group of items, for example a series or file description, the description may offer a summary of the main items or themes, but may not list each item present individually. If you think the themes or dates of the group of items described sound promising, you can try contacting the archive holder for more information.
What isn’t there:
Archivists aren’t robots
Archival descriptions are created by professional people and volunteers, working in different kinds of organisations. Although there are recognised standards there will be variations in how archives are described, and how many items in an archive have already been listed.
Work in progress
Not all archives in Scotland have joined Your Scottish Archives, and not all items held by those taking part have been added yet. You may need to get in contact with the archive to find out if they hold material you are looking for.
Visit our Discover Archives section for more inspiration.