- Research Tools
The Suffolk Archives offers researchers a variety of tools to aid you in your research.
Finding Aids
Finding aids describe a collection’s administrative, biographical, scope and content and container information. Administrative information describes where the collection came from, how the collection was processed, date ranges of materials and restrictions. Biographical information is included for personal manuscript collections. Scope and content notes give researchers detailed information about series hierarchy (how the collection is arranged) and contents (what is in each series), collection highlights, and occasionally topic terms and related subjects. Container information outlines box quantity and folders with in each box.
Collections with finding aids
- MS 100 Congressman John Joseph Moakley Papers (consult Archivist)
- MS103 Jamaica Plain Committee on Central America Collection (.pdf)
- MS 105 Mary P. Burke U.N. Women’s Conference Collection (.pdf)
- MS 106 Thomas F. Lambert Jr. Papers (.pdf)
- MS 108 Gleason Leonard Archer Personal Papers (.pdf)
Index and Bibliographies
An index is an alphabetical list of terms mentioned within a work followed by the page numbers where that term can be found.
Index to Professor David L. Robbins’s A History of Suffolk University 1906-1996. (.pdf)
Bibliographies are lists of works used to support or referred to by an author for research.
Research Guides
Research guides are cross-collection subject based guides that list where a particular topic can be found throughout all our holdings. Currently the Archives has two:
Early Law School Student Profiles
back to top^Research Topics
Research topics are areas of strength within our holdings patrons may wish to consult for research.
- History of Suffolk University
- History of radio
- Massachusetts politics
- Women and international development
- Women’s empowerment and equality
- Grassroots activism
- Congressman John Joseph Moakley
- Boston and Massachusetts Ninth District Economic Development (Big Dig, Waterfront, Taunton Industrial Park, etc.)
- Campaigns – State Representative, State Senate, Boston City Council, Congress
- Congress – Leadership, Rules Committee etc.
- Constituent Services
- Foreign Policy - Military Aid to El Salvador, U.S. Policy towards Cuba
- Democratic Party - Leadership
- Environmental Issues – Boston Harbor Islands, Boston Harbor Clean-up, Hazardous Waste sites
- Fair Housing - Anti-snob Zoning
- Consumer Affairs - Fire-safe Cigarettes, Food Labeling Act
- Forced Busing/Boston Public Schools Desegregation
- Health and Medical Research – Organ Donation, Food Labeling Act
- Historic Preservation - Dorchester Heights, Old State House, Faneuil Hall, U.S.S. Constitution, Old South Meeting House, etc.
- Human Rights – Moakley Commission on the Jesuit Murders in El Salvador, U.S. Policy towards Cuba
- Immigration Issues – Salvadoran Refugee Legislation
- Juvenile Justice
- Labor Relations
SMART Catalog
The SMART catalog is a searchable database of all our collections.
back to top^Conducting Archival Research
Archival research is very different from library research, therefore we recommend the following steps before your visit to the Archives:
- Make a research timeline outlining assignment deadlines and scheduled research appointments.
- Conduct all secondary source research first to become familiar with your topic.
- Consult books, journals and other sources for background information relevant to your topic.
- Learn key names, places, events and terms.
- Understand all sides of your topic. (i.e. pro and con arguments)
- Look at the Archives web page for helpful resources:
- Search SMART catalog for records on your topic.
- Read the finding aid for relevant collection(s).
- Look at the research guides and research tools.
- Talk to an archivist to help plan your research:
- Explain your thesis and ask for guidance using the collection(s).
- Ask for alternative sources and places to do research.
- Review your search results from SMART.
- Schedule a research appointment. Call 617-305-6277, or email archives@suffolk.edu.
When using the records it is important to remember the following:
- Archival collections are arranged hierarchically; one collection may be divided in to several series and then further divided into sub-series. Each series and sub-series consists of individual folders and items.
- Archives use finding aids to describe the information in a collection and how it is organized.
- Archival collections are based on "provenance" which refers to the way the creator of the collection used, collected and stored their records. The provenance reflects the point of view of the person or group who used or created the records. Think about why or how the creator organized the records; the type of organization provides contextual information
- Most importantly, you are the detective; draw your own conclusions from the documents. It is necessary to think critically.
Understanding Archives and Archival Collections
Archives differ from libraries because:
• Stacks are closed, researchers can not walk through and pull items from shelves.
• Most information is primary source material and unique to the repository it is housed in.
• Materials can not leave the archives.
Archival collections:
• Are organized by "provenance" or original order meaning, the records are left the way the creator of the collection used them.
• Are arranged hierarchically. This means one collection can be divided in to several smaller sections called series and sub-series. Finally each series and sub-series has it own arrangement which could be chronological, alphabetical, numerical or other way.
• Are described by finding aids. Finding aids describe, how the collection was processed, date ranges of materials and restrictions. Biographical information is included for personal manuscript collections. Scope and content notes provide detailed information about arrangement and informational content, collection highlights, and occasionally topic terms and related subjects.
• Provide a wealth of untapped primary source materials to be used in original research.