At which point should you have familiarity with the particular primary sources?

[VAZ]

For those who are not proposing a source-based dissertation topic, when should you have some knowledge about the primary sources you are gonna work with, i.e. where are they located, what type and what kind, have you accessed before, if they exist at all, and giving a few examples ------ in other words, the feasibility of the project? When you contact your POI for the first time, when you write your SoPs, or don't have to worry about it until submitting the official dissertation prospectus after the second year in the program or even until the field research year? 

For example, "I just found an old record book from a deserted, dusted shelf in a local archive, and I'm sure no one has touched it for decades. This is what I'm using as my main primary source." LOL

Edited July 24, 2017 by VAZ

[NoirFemme]

Are you asking in reference to applying to grad programs, or when you're already in one? My SOP referenced my topic and the sources that influenced my research, but I wasn't explicitly told to start thinking of sources for my research until after I'd been accepted and met with my advisor.

Edited July 24, 2017 by NoirFemme

[dr. t]

When you're actually proposing your project, i.e. around the time you take prelims.

Unless you're applying to a UK PhD, this would be way too specific for an application.

[hats]

As others have said about your example: "I just found an old record book from a deserted, dusted shelf in a local archive, and I'm sure no one has touched it for decades. This is what I'm using as my main primary source" – no, and it might even be unwise. You don't want to look inflexible. (Of course, as OP noted, if you're going into your PhD because you're really into a particular primary source, knowing that you want to research that thing is fine.)

To answer this, though: "when should you have some knowledge about the primary sources you are gonna work with, i.e. where are they located, what type and what kind, have you accessed before, if they exist at all, and giving a few examples ------ in other words, the feasibility of the project?" I think yes, given an abundantly generous definition of "some knowledge." I think suggesting a type, or several types, of source is a good indicator of the feasibility of your project and that you've done your research. Location and previous access, let alone which specific one you want to use, are too much, but something like: "Since I am interested in the American corporation in the 1870s, my work will involve corporate records. At the moment, I think records from companies doing business on the various canals on the Eastern seaboard sound particularly promising." That doesn't commit you to anything, but it shows you're both open-minded and prepared. Personally, I listed three types of evidence that I wanted to use. One was a huge category that I did indeed end up using—it was the obvious kind of evidence, and other scholars of my topic had used them as well. Think, "government records." I wasn't even sure that the third category of evidence existed, but I listed it because if it did (the jury's still out on that one) that would've been great. I think that's about the level you want to be in a PhD application: you can propose a type or types of evidence, but not the specific one.

[TMP]

I wouldn't worry so much about that.  You will be reading a lot during your coursework years, which you'll look up where scholars have found their sources to make their arguments.  You will (hopefully) receive funds to do pre-dissertation research to check on the viability of your project.

Focus on ideas for dissertation topics.  As people defend their dissertation topics, they go into research and refine their topics.  It's a never-ending cycle of expanding and trimming your project.

[Sigaba]

On 7/24/2017 at 0:17 AM, VAZ said:

For those who are not proposing a source-based dissertation topic, when should you have some knowledge about the primary sources you are gonna work with, i.e. where are they located, what type and what kind, have you accessed before, if they exist at all, and giving a few examples ------ in other words, the feasibility of the project? When you contact your POI for the first time, when you write your SoPs, or don't have to worry about it until submitting the official dissertation prospectus after the second year in the program or even until the field research year? 

For example, "I just found an old record book from a deserted, dusted shelf in a local archive, and I'm sure no one has touched it for decades. This is what I'm using as my main primary source." LOL

You should identify the location and availability of primary source materials that you envision using as soon as possible. Leaping before looking is a good way to find oneself working in the private sector in an industry completely unrelated to history, scratching one's head, asking "How the fuck did I end up here?" (Or so I've heard.)

You should exercise a high degree prudence in making definitive statements about your dissertation topic. Demonstrate that you know how to tell time before talking about the watch you're going to build.

[Concordia]

On 7/24/2017 at 3:17 AM, VAZ said:

 "I just found an old record book from a deserted, dusted shelf in a local archive, and I'm sure no one has touched it for decades. This is what I'm using as my main primary source." LOL

As it happens, that is exactly what I did for my research-based master's degree.  I got even luckier because the one person who had touched it in the last few decades got it completely and embarrassingly wrong, which put some structure on my research and writing right off the bat.  But that was a much shorter time commitment, and the university needed to be sure that they could supervise the period/topic I was thinking of.  

Now, because that source won't yield a sequel 5x as long without a lot of gymnastics, I've got to dig around some tangential topics-- which is actually a little terrifying.   Still, I have a sense of where to start digging even if the magic bullet hasn't hit me yet.  

Edited July 31, 2017 by Concordia