8 March 2014
Many archives have card files or record files that are arranged by personal name. Because these materials are "loose items," citations to them differ significantly from citations to bound manuscript volumes. Typically, these person-based files have multiple individuals of the same name. Therefore, our citations must include any and all details necessary to distinctly identify the individual of interest.
Always, as researchers, we have to thoughtfully analyze not just the record we use but also each *record set,* in order to ensure that we capture all essential details at our point-of-contact.
EE 4.25 and a dozen other passages offer guidance on the use of varying types of files and card files.