ARST 591: ARCHIVAL RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP -- Course Syllabus
Program : Master
of Archival Studies
Instructor: Heather
MacNeil
Office location: TEF
III, Rm. 342
Office phone: 604-822-6365
Office hours:
Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. to noon or by appointment
E-mail address: hmacneil@interchange.ubc.ca
Course Goal : The goal of this course is to equip students with the theoretical and methodological knowledge necessary to understand, evaluate, and undertake archival research.
Course Objectives :
- To provide students with an understanding of how archival research and scholarship have evolved over time
- To familiarize students with the main trends in archival research and scholarship over the past twenty-five years
- To introduce students to the major components of research strategy and research design
- To provide students with the capacity to critically evaluate archival research and scholarship
Course Topics :
- Orality, literacy, and record-keeping practices
- The development of organized record-keeping practices in particular institutional and historical settings
- The evolution of methods for ensuring the trustworthiness of records in particular cultural and historical settings
- The rise of record-keeping as an instrument of the state
- The rise of personal record-keeping
- The impact of technology on record-keeping practices
Course Restrictions : Limited to students in the MAS program who have completed the MAS core unless permission granted by SLAIS Graduate Advisor
Format of the course : One lecture/seminar session per week.
Required Text:
- Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 2 nd ed. New York : Oxford University Press, 2004.
Required Readings (contained in course handbook):
- Cook, Terry. “What is Past is Prologue: A History of Archival Ideas Since 1898, and the Future Paradigm Shift.” Archivaria 43 (Spring 1997): 17-63.
- Craig, Barbara L. “Serving the Truth: The Importance of Fostering Archives Research in Education Programmes.” Archivaria 42 (Fall 1996): 105-117.
- Creswell, John W. “A Framework for Design.” In Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 2 nd ed. Thousand Oaks , London , New Delhi : Sage, 2003.
- Duranti, Luciana. “Archival Science.” Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Kent, Allen, ed., vol. 59. New York : Marcel Dekker, 1996, 1-19.
- Eastwood, Terry. “Archival Research: The University of British Columbia Experience. American Archivist, (Fall-Winter 2000): 243-57.
- Gilliland-Swetland, Anne. “Archival Research: A ‘New’ Issue for Graduate Education.” American Archivist, (Fall-Winter 2000): 258-70.
- Hart, Chris. “Writing the Review.” In Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. London , Thousand Oaks , New Delhi : Sage, 1998 (rpt. 2002).
- Pollard, Riva A. “Pollard, Riva A. “The Appraisal of Personal Papers: a Critical Literature Review.’ Archivaria 52 (Fall 2001): 136-150.
Additional Reading:
- Becker, Howard S. Tricks of the Trade: How to Think About Your Research While You’re Doing it. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1998.
- Black, Thomas R. Understanding Social Science Research. 2 nd ed. London , Thousand Oaks , New Delhi : Sage, 2002.
- Cohen, Louis, Lawrence Manion and Keith Morrison. Research Methods in Education, 5 th ed. London and New York : Routledge Falmer, 2002.
- Creswell, John W. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 2 nd ed. Thousand Oaks , London , New Delhi : Sage, 2003.
- Creswell, John W. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks , London , New Delhi : Sage, 1998.
- Crotty, Michael. The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process. Australia : Allen and Unwin, 1998.
- Denzin, Norman K. and Yvonna S. Lincoln, eds. Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials. 2 nd ed. Thousand Oaks , London , New Delhi : Sage, 2003.
- Dow, Elizabeth H. et al. “The Burlington Agenda: Research Issues in Intellectual Access to Electronically Published Historical Documents.” American Archivist 64 (Fall/Winter 2001): 292-307.
- Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. London , Thousand Oaks , New Delhi : Sage, 1998 (rpt. 2002).
- King, Gary, Robert O. Keohane and Sidney Verba. Designing Social Inquiry: Scientific Inference in Qualitative Research. Princeton , N.J. : Princeton University Press, 1994.
- Minnesota Historical Society. “NHPRC Electronic Records Research Agenda: 1991 Research Issues and Related References” [Draft] November 2002. Available at www.mnhs.org/preserve/records/erbibliography.pdf.
- National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Research Issues in Electronic Records. St. Paul , Minn. : Minnesota Historical Society and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, 1991.
- Robson, Colin. Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers. 2 nd ed. Oxford : Blackwell, 2002.
- Rose, Gillian. Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to the Interpretation of Visual Materials. London , Thousand Oaks , New Delhi : Sage, 2001.
- Stephenson, M.S. “Deciding Not to Build the Wall: Research and the Archival Profession.” Archivaria 32 (Summer 1991): 141-51.
- Strauss, Anselm and Juliet Corbin. Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. 2 nd ed. Thousand Oaks , London , New Delhi : Sage, 1998.
- Unsworth, John. “The Importance of Failure,” Journal of Electronic Publishing 3:2 (December 1997). Available online at www.press.umich.edu/jep/03-02/unsworth.html
- Walliman, Nicholas. Your Research Project: A Step-by-Step Guide for the First-Time Researcher. London , Thousand Oaks , New Delhi : Sage, 2001.
- Williamson, Kirsty. Research Methods for Students, Academics and Professionals: Information Management and Systems. 2 nd ed. Wagga Wagga , New South Wales : Charles Sturt University , 2002.
- Wylie, Robin. “Student Archivistics: The Contribution of Master of Archival Studies Theses to Archival Professional Literature.” Archivaria 39 (Spring 1995): 96-107.
Index of Web Resources: http://www.slais.ubc.ca/resources/research_methods/index.htm
Course Assignments, Due dates and Weight in relation to final course mark:
Assignment |
Due Date |
Weight |
Presentation on research article |
Indicated on schedule |
20% |
Methodology essay |
October 19, 2005 |
30% |
Literature review |
December 5, 2005 |
40% |
Class participation |
|
10% |
Course Schedule :
Date |
Topics |
Readings and Assignments |
1. Sept. 7 |
Introduction to course; definitions of research and scholarship; themes and trends in archival research and scholarship |
Reading : |
2. Sept. 14 |
Themes and trends, continued The role of research in graduate archival education |
Reading : |
3. Sept. 21 |
Types of social research Social research strategies
|
Reading : |
4. Sept. 28 |
Research designs
|
Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods, Chapter 2 |
5. Oct. 5 |
The nature of qualitative and quantitative research
Breaking down the qualitative and quantitative divide; combining qualitative and quantitative research |
Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods, Chapter 3-4, 13 Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods, Chapter 21-22 |
6. Oct. 12 |
Quantitative research: methodologies and techniques
|
Reading : Research article presentations (2) |
7. Oct. 19 |
The nature and purpose of a literature review |
Reading : Methodology paper due |
8. Oct. 26 |
Ask a Silly Question video |
|
9. Nov. 2 |
Quantitative research methods and techniques, continued
|
Reading : Research article presentations (2) |
10. Nov. 9 |
Qualitative research methods and techniques
|
Reading : Research article presentations (2) |
11. Nov. 16 |
Qualitative research methods, continued
|
Reading : Research article presentations (2) |
12. Nov. 23 |
Research ethics Ethical Review Boards: video |
Reading : UBC BREB form and guidance notes |
13. Nov. 30 |
Reports on literature reviews Wrap up of course |
Literature review due |
Course Policies :
Attendance : The calendar states, “Regular attendance is expected of students in all their classes (including lectures, laboratories, tutorials, seminars, etc.). Students who neglect their academic work and assignments may be excluded from the final examinations. Students who are unavoidably absent because of illness or disability should report to their instructors on return to classes.” Regular on-time attendance in class is an important and required part of this course.
Plagiarism is a serious offence. For more information about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it, consult the following resources:
http://www.arts.ubc.ca/doa/plagiarism.htm
http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/plagiarism/welcome.html.
Evaluation : Assignments will not be accepted late unless prior arrangements are made with me. If an extension is granted, a late penalty will be imposed, except in cases of legitimate illness or emergencies.
All assignments will be awarded numerical grades using the evaluative criteria given on the SLAIS web site: http://www.slais.ubc.ca/RESOURCES/slais-marking.htm
Style Manual: Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6 th ed., rev. John Grossman and Alice Bennett. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Course Discussion List: Each of you must sign-up for the class internet discussion list. From whatever email account you wish to use, send the following [leave the Subject line blank]:
address-- To: majordomo@interchange.ubc.ca
message-- subscribe a-591
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