Research Guidance

The glossary provided here is not specific to the Church History Catalog. These suggestions can be applied to broader searches as well. This advice may be applicable to searching for missionary journals too.

Glossary of Material Types

In order to effectively search for Latter-day Saint pioneer materials, it is important to understand some of the vocabulary that may be encountered during research. This glossary will provide a brief definition or explanation for some of the more common words and phrases.

1. Diary and journal—These two words are often used interchangeably; however, there are some important distinctions. Diaries generally provide a record of personal and daily experiences. Journals are more general and may not include personal information. Individual institutions may have their own way of determining if something qualifies as a journal or diary. The most important element of both is that they are created “in the moment.” Typically, very little time has passed between record creation and events being documented. For the purpose of pioneer-related materials, “journal” and “diary” are considered synonymous.
   
2. Autobiography—An autobiography is a chronological account of a person’s life compiled and written by that person. Because an autobiography is about the person who wrote the manuscript, the narrative is usually in the first person. Autobiographies may be written at any point in an individual’s lifetime. Unlike a journal or diary, autobiographies are not a daily record or log of a person’s experiences. As such, journals and diaries may or may not be consulted when writing an autobiography.
   
3. Biography—A biography is an account of a person’s life written by another person. Biographies are not firsthand accounts and are not written in first-person narrative. Instead, the narrative is often written in the third person. Biographies may be chronological or thematic. A well-written biography relies on primary sources to construct the narrative.
   
4. Reminiscences—These are probably the most common form of pioneer record. A reminiscence is a story about, or an account of, the past told by an individual who experienced the recounted events. Reminiscence relies on memory. As such, problems may arise with the accuracy of the retold events. When using reminiscences, it is best practice to vet the stories by comparing them to additional primary sources created during the time of the remembered events or moments that occurred in the person’s life.
   
5. Memoir—This genre of writing fits somewhere between autobiography and reminiscence. Like an autobiography, it is written by the person the story is about. Similar to a reminiscence, memoirs rely on memory and reflection. The difference is that a memoir intentionally focuses on establishing an emotional connection with the reader rather than just presenting facts. Memoirs include biographical or chronological information only when relevant to the story. Judicial selection of meaningful or relevant information is employed to heighten the emotional aspects of the narrative.
   
6. Life sketch—Life sketches are another popular type of pioneer record. They can be autobiographical or biographical. By intention, a life sketch is a short overview or summary of a person’s life experiences. The length does not usually exceed more than a few pages. Some may be as short as a few paragraphs.
   
7. Transcript—A transcript is a copy (usually typed) of a written record. Some pioneer journals have been transcribed by professional transcriptionists, though most are transcribed by descendants of the person who first created the record. It is often easier to read a transcript than the original handwriting, but transcripts may also contain errors. It is best practice, when possible, to compare a transcript against the original document.