16How to evaluate oral history sources
A practical source-criticism checklist for interviews, recollections and family recordings.
Reader route / Research & Archives
Research methods for maritime archives
Research & Archives turns a reader’s first question into a repeatable path through deck logs, muster rolls, photographs, oral history and the shared glossary. It is a practical home for archive tools, museum records, family research and source criticism.
09 ways into the recordUpdated August 25, 2026
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23Minesweeper glossary for history readers
A compact vocabulary for reading ship histories, mine-warfare records and catalog descriptions.
24How to read Navy deck logs
A practical route from a catalog entry to a dated observation, with precision matched to the record.
25How to use Navy muster rolls
What muster rolls can show about assignment and continuity, and why they should not become public contact lists.
26How to identify old Navy photo provenance
A source trail for catalog numbers, captions, owners and the permissions that make an image publishable.
28Wild buckwheat: what it is and how to know it
A field guide to wild buckwheat (Eriogonum): how it differs from grain buckwheat, how to identify it on a hike, and which species to plant first in a dry
31Forge and Ironwork in the Hudson Valley
A record-first look at forge technique, tools, and the iron still standing in New York's Capital District, from Burden Iron Works to Monitor plate.
32Writing for Young Readers in the Carolinas
A record-first look at writing and illustrating children's books in North and South Carolina, from manuscript formatting to regional critique groups.
35Latin Monetary Union: coins, silver, and gold
A record-based look at the Latin Monetary Union, its 1865 convention, its silver and gold coin standards, and how collectors read the coins today.
A living route
Start with the question that brought you here.
Each page names its source trail and points toward the next record. The route grows when a new document, correction or useful explanation earns a place.
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