A book project about a group of warships shows why a broad subject must be narrowed into answerable research needs. Strategic reasons for construction, tactical employment, operational use, recruitment patterns, and construction data each point toward different records. Researching why the ships were built and how they operated does not require the personal papers of every admiral who served aboard them. The plan may change when the first archive reveals another repository or line of enquiry, but an initial scope prevents indiscriminate collecting.
Chapter · 0:33-1:50
Define what the research must explain
Start archival research by deciding whether the project needs strategic, tactical, operational, personnel, or construction evidence.