Citing Edison Papers Documents

The following is a discussion of how documents in the digital edition are cited in the publications of the Thomas A. Edison Papers. We recommend the same format to researchers citing the edition in their own work. Also included is a discussion of how digital citations can be used to quickly retrieve images of documents, folders, or volumes.

Types of Citations

There are two types of alphameric citations in the digital edition:

(1) Document IDs (correspondence and other individually indexed documents). Example: D8120H [Edwin Fox to TAE, 10 Jan. 1881]

(2) Folder/Volume IDs. Examples: D8120 [the folder in which the previously cited letter is located]; N117 [laboratory notebook]; CL003 [account book] .

The Document ID generally consists of the Folder/Volume ID followed by additional letters or numbers. However, in some laboratory notebooks and other volumes where there is only one individually indexed record, the Document ID and Folder/Volume ID may be identical (see N117 in the example, below).

How to Find the Citation for a Document or Folder/Volume

These citations, along with other information about the document, can be found by clicking on a document link. For example, after clicking the link to a 10 January 1881 letter from Edwin M. Fox to Edison the following information would be displayed above the image of the document:

Image 1 of 1
01/10/1881 Fox, Edwin M to Edison, Thomas Alva
(Maxim, Hiram Stevens) Sales and service; Electric light and power

[D8120] Document File Series -- 1881: (D-81-20) Electric Light -- General
[D8120H; TAEM 57:567]

In this example, the alphanumeric citation for the folder [D8120] appears next to the folder icon on the third line. The alphameric citation for the document itself appears directly below it on the bottom [D8120H], followed by the citation to the reel and frame of the microfilm edition [TAEM 57:567].

How Researchers Should Cite Edison Papers Documents

Correspondence and other individually indexed documents.
The citation should conclude with the acronym TAED followed by the Document ID. Example: Fox to TAE, 10 Jan. 1881 (TAED D8120H).

Notebooks, Account Books, and other volumes.

The citation should conclude with the acronym TAED followed by the folder /volume ID and the specific image number(s). For example, an entry appearing on page 273 of Charles Mott Journal, N-80-07-10 (see below) should be cited as Mott Journal N-80-07-10: 273 (TAED N117:137).

Image 137 of 142

1880-1881 Mott, Charles P Diaries and Journals

[N117] Notebook Series Menlo Park Notebooks: Notebook #117 N800710 (1880-1881)
[N117; TAEM 37:302]

The same format can also be used for individually indexed documents, if they are of unusual length e.g., Boehm Deposition, 26 Aug. 1881 (TAED W100DEC002:7) with the image number following the document ID in the same manner as it folows the folder/volume ID.

Retrieving a Single Document or Folder/Volume Using a Digital Citation

If you already know the digital citation for a particular document, folder, or volume, the images can be quickly retrieved by going to "Search Methods" on the Edison Papers homepage and then clicking on the link for "Single Document or Folder." This will take the user to http://edison.rutgers.edu/singldoc.htm, where the images can be retrieved by putting the appropriate alphanumeric code in either the "Document ID" box or "Folder/Volume ID" box.

If the "Folder/Volume ID" box is used, a list of the individual documents can be retrieved (in the same manner as through the Series Notes) by clicking on the "List Documents" and then "Show Documents" buttons. Once you have clicked on a document link in a volume, a "Go to Image" button appears above the first image. You can then go to a specific image number (such as 137 of 142 in the example below) by entering the desired image number in the box immediately below the button and then clicking on the button.