Organizing
and storing your information in a logical and easily accessible manner
is very important. You can build up an archive during your research by
organising the sources of your information in a specific format that is
user-friendly and releases needed information easily.
6.1
Books
If
you used a large number of books you must compile a bibliography containing
the following information:
a) author
b) date of publication
c) title
d) place of publication
e) publisher
You
may not be able to keep the book in your library at home, but a bibliography
will enable you to easily access the data at a later date.
6.2
Images and graphics
Sources
of information like graphics, paintings, drawings, maps and photographs
should also be stored. You may not be able to keep originals of the images,
but copies can be used. Arrange the pictures in alphabetical order and
keep the different images in groups. If you do have original photographs
you must remember to store them out of the sun to prevent fading. You
could also laminate the documents for better preservation.
6.3
Interviews
Copies
of interviews should be kept in written and tape form. Mark the tapes
and documents clearly and file them alphabetically. You can also enter
all your written data into computer and store it on disk. This will take
up less space and is easy to manage, copy and distribute.
Remember
that the storage of your sources like pamphlets, letters and other documents
is very important. You should make photocopies of the originals in order
to ensure that nothing gets lost. Your notes are also important and should
be stored in your archive with the rest of your research information.
Handle
the contents of your archive with care in order to prolong its life span.
You can store your documents in a filing cabinet, or even in boxes. Keep
in mind that rodents, insects and damp should be kept away from your archive
in order to protect its contents.
