ARST 591 : Archival Research and Scholarship -- COURSE SYLLABUS (3)

Course Goal: Through this elective course students will acquire knowledge of selected research methods and techniques used in archival research, at the theoretical and pragmatic level. Through lectures, in-class activities, guest-speaker presentations and class discussions, and by carrying out an actual small-scale research project, students will gain insight into and practical knowledge of archival research and scholarship. The knowledge acquired in this course complements the knowledge obtained in other required and elective first and second-year courses, and supports the work carried out by students inside and outside the School, for example in research projects such as InterPARES. This course is a pre-requisite for ARST 592-Directed Research Project and ARST 599-Thesis.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Apply and demonstrate understanding of selected research methods and techniques.
2. Demonstrate understanding of the development and characteristics of archival research and scholarship.
3. Design and conduct a small-scale archival research project.
4. Evaluate archival research projects and literature.
5. Discuss and demonstrate understanding of the course topics listed below:

Course Topics:

• What is Research?
• Designing and Planning a Research Project
• Conducting a Research Project
• Disseminating Research Project Findings
• Evaluating Archival Research and Scholarship

Course Restrictions: Limited to students in the MAS or Joint MAS/MLIS program who have completed the MAS Core, unless permission granted by SLAIS Graduate Advisor.

Prerequisites: Completion of the “Introductory Tutorial for the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS)”, available at: http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/tutorial/ (last accessed: September 2, 2008); students need to bring a copy of the Certificate of Completion to the instructor, on the first day of classes.

Format of the Course: The course meets for three hours each week. The format of the course consists of: Lectures, class discussions, in-class activities, student presentations, and guest-speaker presentations. Students are required to spend time outside the classroom in order to conduct a class research project.

Required and Recommended Reading (R=required):

NOTE: The textbook is available at the UBC Bookstore (same textbook as LIBR 505). Copies of the other required readings that exist in hardcopy only will be made available to students at the beginning of the course. Additional readings may be assigned throughout the term. Handouts will be provided on a class-by-class basis.

The required textbook is:

R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: Guide to the Book, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27]

Alvesson, Mats, and Kaj Sköldberg. Reflexive Methodology: New Vistas for Qualitative Research. London, United Kingdom, Thousand Oaks, Ca., New Delhi, India: SAGE Publications, 2000 (reprint 2004).

Baker, L.M. Ed. Research Methods [Special Issue] Library Trends 55, no.1 (Summer 2006): 1-215.

Bryman, Alan, and James, J. Teevan. Social Research Methods, Canadian Edition. Don Mills, On.: Oxford University Press, 2005.

R 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. Available in electronic format through the Association of Canadian Archivists’ Web site at: www.archivists.ca.

Craig, Barbara L. “Serving the Truth: The Importance of Fostering Archives Research in Education Programmes.” Archivaria 42 (Fall 1996): 105-117. Available in electronic format through the Association of Canadian Archivists’ Web site at: www.archivists.ca.

R Creswell, John W. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. 2 nd Ed. Thousand Oaks, Ca., London, United Kingdom, New Delhi, India: SAGE Publications, 2003. [Selected Chapters: 1, 2, 3]

R Czaja, Ronald, and Johnny Blair. Designing Surveys: A Guide to Decisions and Procedures. 2 nd Ed. Thousand Oaks, Ca., London, United Kingdom, New Delhi, India: Pine Forge Press, 2005. [Selected Chapters: 3]

Denzin, Norman K. Performance Ethnography: Critical Pedagogy and the Politics of Culture. Thousand Oaks, Ca., London, United Kingdom, New Delhi, India: Pine Forge Press, 2003.

R Denzin, Norman K., and Yvonna S. Lincoln. Eds. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. 3 rd Ed. Thousand Oaks, Ca., London, United Kingdom, New Delhi, India: SAGE Publications, 2005. [Selected Chapters: 1, 27]

Douglas, Mary. How Institutions Think. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 1986.

R Duranti, Luciana. “Archival Science.” Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, edited by Allen Kent, Vol. 59. New York, Basel, Hong Kong: Marcel Dekker, 1996: 1-19. Supplement 22.

Duranti, Luciana. Project Director. “International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems-InterPARES 1, 2, 3.” Project’s Web site available at: www.interpares.org. Last accessed: August 31, 2008.

Eastwood, Terry. “Archival Research: The University of British Columbia Experience.” The American Archivist 63, no. 2 (Fall/Winter 2000): 243-57.

Gilliland-Swetland, Anne. “Archival Research: A ‘New’ Issue for Graduate Education.” The American Archivist 63, no. 2 (Fall/Winter 2000): 258-70.

Gilliland, Anne and Sue McKemmish. Eds. Special Thematic Issue: Research Methods. Archival Science 4, nos. 3-4 (Summer 2004): 143-382. Available in electronic format through the UBC Library.

R Marini, Francesca. “Sources and Methodology of Theater Research in the View of Scholars and Information Professionals.” Ph.D. diss. University of California, Los Angeles, 2005. [Selected Chapters: 1, 2]

R Marini, Francesca. “Archivists, Librarians, and Theatre Research.” Archivaria 63 (Spring 2007): 7-33.

R Merriam, Sharan B. Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. Rev. Ed. San Francisco, Cal.: Jossey-Bass, 1998. [Selected Chapters: 1, 3, 11]

McNiff, Jean, and Jack Whitehead. All You Need To Know About Action Research. Thousand Oaks, Ca., London, United Kingdom, New Delhi, India: SAGE Publications, 2006. [Selected Chapters: 1]

Nardi, Bonnie A., and Vicki L. O’Day. Information Ecologies: Using Technology With Heart. Cambridge, Mass., London, United Kingdom: The MIT Press, 1999.

R Pollard, Riva A. “The Appraisal of Personal Papers: a Critical Literature Review.” Archivaria 52 (Fall 2001): 136-50. Available in electronic format through the Association of Canadian Archivists’ Web site at: www.archivists.ca.

Roe, Emery. Narrative Policy Analysis: Theory and Practice. Durham, N.C., and London, United Kingdom: Duke University Press, 1994.

Stephenson, Mary Sue. “Deciding Not to Build the Wall: Research and the Archival Profession.” Archivaria 32 (Summer 1991): 141-51. Available in electronic format through the Association of Canadian Archivists’ Web site at: www.archivists.ca.

Trace, Ciaran. Ph.D. diss. “Documenting School Life: Formal and Informal Imprints of a Fifth-Grade Classroom.” University of California, Los Angeles, 2004. [Selected Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4] (Available in electronic format through the UBC Library Databases)

R Trace, Ciaran B. “For Love of the Game: An Ethnographic Analysis of Archival Reference Work.” Archives and Manuscripts 34, no. 1 (May 2006): 124-43.

Course Assignments, Relationship with Course Objectives, Due-dates, and Weight in Relation to Final Course Mark:

 

Assignment and Relationship with Course Objectives	Due-Date	Weight
Group Literature Review (including information on individual student contributions): Literature Review on the issue of visibility of archives and rare books and special collections, in general and within their specific environments (for example, academic environment) (Course Objectives 1, 3, and 5)	October 8	20%
Online Survey Questionnaire (group project): Design of a questionnaire for an online survey that will be conducted by UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program about its visibility in archives and libraries (Course Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 5)	October 29	15%
Group Research Project (including information on individual student contributions): Small-scale research project to be conducted on the UBC campus in order to make a preliminary assessment of the on-campus visibility of the UBC Archives and Rare Books and Special Collections (Course Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)	Throughout and November 26	40%
Individual Report on Class Experience: Individual student report on his/her research and learning experience in the course (Course Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)	November 26	10%
Class Participation: Class attendance, including attendance of lectures and guest-speaker lectures; participation in in-class activities; and participation in class discussions (Course Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).	Throughout	15%

Date	Topic	Readings and Assignments
September 3	Introduction to Course; What Is Research? Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	No readings assigned.
September 10	What Is Research? (continued); Designing and Planning a Research Project Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: Guide to the Book, 1, 2, 3]
September 17	Designing and Planning a Research Project (continued) Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: 4, 5] R Creswell, John W. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. 2 nd Ed. Thousand Oaks, Ca., London, United Kingdom, New Delhi, India: SAGE Publications, 2003. [Selected Chapters: 1, 2, 3] R Marini, Francesca. “Sources and Methodology of Theater Research in the View of Scholars and Information Professionals.” Ph.D. diss. University of California, Los Angeles, 2005. [Selected Chapters: 1] R Pollard, Riva A. “The Appraisal of Personal Papers: a Critical Literature Review.” Archivaria 52 (Fall 2001): 136-50. Available in electronic format through the Association of Canadian Archivists’ Web site at: www.archivists.ca.
September 24	Designing and Planning a Research Project (continued); Conducting a Research Project Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: 6, 16] R Denzin, Norman K., and Yvonna S. Lincoln. Eds. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. 3 rd Ed. Thousand Oaks, Ca., London, United Kingdom, New Delhi, India: SAGE Publications, 2005. [Selected Chapters: 1] R Merriam, Sharan B. Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. Rev. Ed. San Francisco, Cal.: Jossey-Bass, 1998. [Selected Chapters: 1, 3] R Marini, Francesca. “Sources and Methodology of Theater Research in the View of Scholars and Information Professionals.” Ph.D. diss. University of California, Los Angeles, 2005. [Selected Chapters: 2]
October 1	Conducting a Research Project (continued) Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: 17, 18] R Denzin, Norman K., and Yvonna S. Lincoln. Eds. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. 3 rd Ed. Thousand Oaks, Ca., London, United Kingdom, New Delhi, India: SAGE Publications, 2005. [Selected Chapters: 27]
October 8	Conducting a Research Project (continued)   Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: 19, 20, 21] Assignment Due : Group Literature Review
October 15	Conducting a Research Project (continued) Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: 26] R Czaja, Ronald, and Johnny Blair. Designing Surveys: A Guide to Decisions and Procedures. 2 nd Ed. Thousand Oaks, Ca., London, United Kingdom, New Delhi, India: Pine Forge Press, 2005. [Selected Chapters: 3]
October 22	Conducting a Research Project (continued)   Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: 22]
October 29	Conducting a Research Project (continued) Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: 24, 25]   Assignment Due : Online Survey Questionnaire
November 5	Conducting a Research Project (continued); Disseminating Research Project Findings Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R Bryman, Alan. Social Research Methods. 3 rd Ed. Oxford, United Kingdom, 2008. [Selected Chapters: 27] R Marini, Francesca. “Archivists, Librarians, and Theatre Research.” Archivaria 63 (Spring 2007): 7-33. R Merriam, Sharan B. Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. Rev. Ed. San Francisco, Cal.: Jossey-Bass, 1998. [Selected Chapters: 11]
November 12	Conducting a Research Project (continued); Disseminating Research Project Findings (continued); Evaluating Archival Research and Scholarship   Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	R 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. Available in electronic format through the Association of Canadian Archivists’ Web site at: www.archivists.ca. R Duranti, Luciana. “Archival Science.” Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. Kent, Allen. Ed. Vol. 59. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1996: 1-19. R Trace, Ciaran B. “For Love of the Game: An Ethnographic Analysis of Archival Reference Work.” Archives and Manuscripts 34, no. 1 (May 2006): 124-43.
November 19	Conducting a Research Project (continued); Disseminating Research Project Findings (continued) Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	No readings assigned.
November 26	Conducting a Research Project (continued); Disseminating Research Project Findings (continued) Format: Lecture; Class Discussion; In-class Activity.	No readings assigned. Assignments Due : Group Research Project Report Individual Report on Class Experience

 

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.” Absences due to serious and documented family emergencies will also be excused. Students should notify the instructor of the reasons for their absence as early as possible. Absences that are unjustified or are due to reasons other than the ones above will be penalized in the class participation mark. Students who miss more than one class per term should meet with the instructor in person to discuss their reasons and their standing in the course.

Religious Accommodation : The University accommodates students whose religious obligations conflict with attendance, submitting assignments, or completing scheduled tests and examinations. Please let your instructor know in advance, preferably in the first week of class, if you will require any accommodation on these grounds. Students who plan to be absent for varsity athletics, family obligations, or other similar commitments, cannot assume they will be accommodated, and should discuss their commitments with the instructor before the course drop date. UBC policy on Religious Holidays: http://www.universitycounsel.ubc.ca/policies/policy65.pdf

Use of Laptop Computers and Other Electronic Devices in Class: Many universities in North America have started to ban the use of laptops and the use of wireless Internet access during class time. Use of laptop computers and other electronic devices (such as cell phones, personal digital assistants, etc.) in class is allowed only for the purpose of taking class notes or doing work requested by the instructor and related to the class. Use of laptops, lab computers or other devices to check e-mail during class time or for reasons other than the ones discussed above is not allowed. If the instructor verifies that a student is using his or her laptop or other device for reasons not allowed, the student might be requested not to bring the laptop or device to class again, and the class participation mark will be negatively impacted.

Academic Dishonesty : Please review the UBC Calendar Academic regulations for the University policy on cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty: http://www.students.ubc.ca/calendar/index.cfm?tree=3,54,111,959. Also visit and review the contents of these two resources: Plagiarism Resource Centre: For Students: http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/plagiarism/welcome.html and Plagiarism Avoided: Taking Responsibility For Your Work: http://www.arts.ubc.ca/Plagiarism_Avoided.373.0.html for useful information on avoiding plagiarism and on correct documentation practice. Students are held responsible for knowing and following all University regulations regarding academic dishonesty. If a student does not know how to properly cite a source or what constitutes proper use of a source it is the student's personal responsibility to obtain the needed information and to apply it within University guidelines and policies. If evidence of academic dishonesty is found in a course assignment, previously submitted work in this course may be reviewed for possible academic dishonesty and grades modified as appropriate.

Spoken and Written Language Skills : Correct grammar and spelling, careful construction of sentences and paragraphs, clarity of expression, respectful use of language, correct citation style, and overall good mastery of the English language are expected at the graduate level. The instructor may lower marks if the expectations are not met. The students should follow the Canadian Oxford Dictionary for spelling and the current edition of The Chicago Manual of Style for writing style (The Chicago Manual of Style, 15 th Edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2003; Available for reference at several branches of the UBC Library, call number Z253 .U69 2003). Students who need to improve their writing skills may use the courses and resources of the UBC Writing Centre: http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/index.html.

Evaluation : UBC marking policies are followed. All assignments will be awarded numeric grades using the evaluative criteria given on the SLAIS Web site at http://www.slais.ubc.ca/RESOURCES/slais-marking.htm. In order to successfully complete the course, students will need to obtain a passing grade in each individual assignment, including class participation. Deadline extensions will be allowed for medical or other serious and documented reasons; please also refer to the Attendance section. Prior arrangements must be made with the instructor in regard to extensions. Late assignments that are not justified by medical or other serious and documented reasons will receive a penalty of 2% of the grade per each day of lateness.

Readings are a key requirement and students should demonstrate their understanding of them through coursework and class discussion; not doing the readings will have a negative impact on the class participation mark and might negatively impact the completion of assignments.

Disability Accommodation : The University accommodates students with disabilities who have registered with the Disability Resource Centre (http://www.students.ubc.ca/access/drc.cfm). You must register with the Disability Resource Centre to be granted special accommodations for any on-going conditions.