Primary Source Materials in China

• Take accurate notes when doing research in unpublished manuscripts and archival material so you can find items again if you need to, and so other researchers will be able to go back to the source when following your footnote or bibliography entry.
• Accurately record the collection name, box number, folder number and document details when taking notes.  If you are citing correspondence, record the author as well as the recipient, and the date of the letter, if known.
• Format your citations as instructed in the finding aid for the collection.​
• If you wish to quote from unpublished materials in a special library collection, you must request permission from the repository as well as from the appropriate copyright holders.  Check with archivists before quoting to make sure there are no use restrictions.   Contact NYU Special Collections or NYU Shanghai Library. 
• Information about copyright holders and how to locate them can be found in the WATCH File, a joint project of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at UT, Austin and the University of Reading in the UK.

Explore the rest of NYU's full guide on Fair Use & Copyright.

Consult the NYU Libraries Bibliographic Footnote & Style guide for citation and bibliography assistance. Includes APA, MLA, and Chicago style examples.

You can always e-mail your librarian for help with your questions, book an online consultation with a research specialist, or chat with us in real-time!