How early to travel to archives

[serenade]

How early in your program did you begin researching in archives? Summer after first year, etc? I'm starting a PhD program in the fall and will have to do archival research in Europe at some point. Interested to know at what point in a PhD program is typical to begin this.

[TMP]

As soon as you can get your hands on funding to pay for your travels!  You'll have to justify that you need an "exploratory trip" to make sure that the materials are available for your dissertation topic.

[mvlchicago]

I started in undergrad. If you've got an idea of what you want to do + where you need to go to do it, start applying!

[serenade]

Thanks for the info, everyone. Do most of the funding grants require rec letters? If you're applying for grants in the first semester of your program, how do you get letters from professors that haven't even known you for a whole semester yet?

[TMP]

You do need to have a letter from your adviser.  If the application requires another letter, ask your adviser.  My adviser told me that in my first year of grad school, I can use my previous professors. 

[serenade]

Thanks. A few more questions since I'm a novice at this whole concept: Over the course of your PhD, how often do you travel to archives (once a year/every summer etc)? How long do you stay each time, generally speaking? Finally, do you apply to the same grants each year or different ones? (assuming one is not among the lucky who get Fulbright/Mellon grants).

[TMP]

Thanks. A few more questions since I'm a novice at this whole concept: Over the course of your PhD, how often do you travel to archives (once a year/every summer etc)? How long do you stay each time, generally speaking? Finally, do you apply to the same grants each year or different ones? (assuming one is not among the lucky who get Fulbright/Mellon grants).

 Everyone is different.  I'm more of "all at once" type of person.  I reserve summer for deep research.  I like to use December break as a "real vacation" time and spring break as a chance to catch up/catch a breath from classes.  Peers have used those breaks to research.  To me, that just requires more money and I'm not interested in going into debt.

 

People stay as long as they need to or are constrained by their own schedules.  The amount of materials that an archive has determines how much TOTAL time you need.  

 

As for grants, you'll have to read the application guidelines.  Of course, within your department and university, you can re-apply.