Archival Research

Date/Time
Date(s) - 16/05/2019
11:00 - 13:00

Instructor
Nico Randeraad

Location
2.041

Categories

• Workshops

Organizer: Dr. Nico Randeraad

Nico Randeraad studied history at the Free University in Amsterdam, and holds a Phd from the European University Institute in Florence (1992). He worked as post-doc and lecturer at various Dutch universities and at the University of Hull. From 1999 until 2002 he co-directed the Netherlands Centre for Contemporary History at the University of Groningen. Since 2002 he has been at Maastricht University (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences). He is currently interim director of the Social History Centre for Limburg.

Workshop description:

One of the many ways in which scholars with a historical interest (not only historians!) conduct research is by locating, selecting and analyzing archival sources. ‘Archives’ can be defined in different ways: as the documents or records relating to the activities of a person, family, corporation, association, community, or state; but archives are also places where historical materials are kept. These materials can take many forms: written, typed or digital documents, photo’s, films, etc. Some would argue that houses and streets can also be regarded as archives. More and more archives become available online, but the vast majority of records is still physically stored in repositories. How do you find your way in such an abundance of material?

The workshop ‘Archival Research’ gives you an idea of what kind of material you may find in archives, how you start a project that involves archival research, and which subsequent steps you should take to uncover and analyze specific documents or other sources. We organize the workshop on the premises of the Historical Centre for Limburg, the building with the ‘crack’ in the Sint Pieterstraat, Maastricht, where ca. 30 km of records are kept.

What are the methodology and/or methods that the workshop will cover?

Archival research is not really a method, but rather a practice, and sometimes a skill, developed by experience. Only after you have found and selected your sources, the question of method emerges. Hand written historical sources, such as letters, require other approaches than for examples tax or population records. In this workshop, you mainly concentrate on sources you are likely to find in the Historical Centre for Limburg.

To participate in this workshop, you will need to prepare the following material(s):

Chapter 19: Archives, in P. Claus and J. Merriott, History. An Introduction to Theory, Method and Practice. Harlow: Pearson 2012, pp. 386-404

At the end of this workshop, you will have obtained the following skills:

• Have developed insight into the differences between primary and secondary sources, and get an idea of the diversity of primary sources
• Have acquainted themselves with the types of sources found in archives of various sorts
• Connect research questions to archival sources
• Be able to select and request materials from an archive

Booking is available from 23 April at 18:15.

In the comment field below, please also indicate whether or not you speak and/or read Dutch. This is not a requirement to participate, but will be used for planning the workshop.

Bookings