Tag: Research

Call for Participants: Archives, Slavery & Race-Making Summer School, King’s College London, July 3- 7, 2023

The Centre for Early Modern Studies (CEMS) at King’s College London is pleased to invite applications for a fully-funded, week-long summer school exploring new methodological approaches to the archives of race & slavery in the early modern world.  

Bringing together leading scholars in a variety of methodologies and disciplines, the Archives, Slavery & Race-Making Summer School aims to introduce a new generation of researchers to cutting-edge approaches to the field. This summer school comprises morning master classes with leading scholars, followed by afternoon sessions in which participants will have the opportunity to workshop chapters from their dissertation or a related article project. The topics covered will include:

Diana Paton (Edinburgh): Gender and Slavery in the Atlantic World

Stephanie Smallwood (Washington University): The Middle Passage

Farah Karim-Cooper (The Globe/KCL): Race and Contemporary Performance

Alexandre White (Johns Hopkins University): Sociological Approaches to Archives of Slavery 

Tamara Walker (Barnard): Visual and Material Culture

This workshop is open to PhD students actively researching their dissertation and ECRs, broadly defined, from any relevant discipline. This event is being organised and hosted by Medicine and the Making of Race, 1440-1720, a UKRI Future Leader’s Fellowship Project. MMoR will cover the cost of travel, (domestic or international), to London.  Participants will receive accommodation for six nights, and breakfast and lunches will be provided. We intend this workshop to be fully accessible to all; if extra assistance is required to participate, please feel free to raise this with us in advance.

Interested applicants are invited to submit a short application, including a CV and a (ca.1000 word) covering letter which includes a description of their research interests and how this workshop might benefit them. The name of one referee is required, but will only be contacted at point of shortlisting. Please note we expect participants to be in a position to submit pieces of writing c.5000 words at least a month in advance of the workshop. Participants will also be expected to carry out reading for each masterclass in advance, and attendance of all elements of the workshop are mandatory. This is an opportunity to meet and collaborate with other emerging researchers in the field from across the globe, and the week will include time for networking and for visiting relevant sites and archives in London.

Please send your application material to mmor@kcl.ac.uk by Friday March 3rd, 2023. Applicants will be selected with a view to research fit, as well as to ensuring a diversity of research interests, methodologies, and academic backgrounds. Priority will be given to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to travel or network internationally. 

Contact Email: 

mmor@kcl.ac.uk

URL: https://www.mmor.co.uk/news/cfp-summer-school

Participate in a research study about the impact of chronic illness and disability on careers in special collections libraries and archives

Special Collections librarians and archivists are invited to participate in a research study about the impact that having a chronic illness and/or disability has on their careers. To participate, you must be 18 years or older, a current employee at a special collections library or archive, and self-identify as having a chronic illness and/or disability.

This study consists of an online survey and is being conducted by Melanie Griffin, Director of Special Collections Services at the University of Arkansas Libraries (melanieg@uark.edu).  The survey will ask questions about your current employment status as well as questions related to your experiences working with chronic illness and/or disability while working in a special collections library or archives. It should take 10-15 minutes to complete the survey.

If you decide to participate, understand that participation is voluntary and can be discontinued at any point without penalty. You can choose not to participate. There is no cost associated with participating in this study, and you will not receive compensation for participating. At the conclusion of the study, you have the right to request feedback about the results by contacting the researcher.

All information will be kept confidential to the extent allowed by applicable State and Federal law. Data will be anonymized before analysis, and results will only be presented in the aggregate. Records will be stored on secure university servers.

If you have questions about the study, please contact Melanie Griffin, Director of Special Collections Services at the University of Arkansas Libraries, by emailing melanieg@uark.edu.

The deadline to complete the survey is March 1, 2023.

Access the survey: https://uark.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3sZ99mGKviYwK58.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Melanie Griffin
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Melanie Griffin
Director of Special Collections Services
University of Arkansas Libraries
Fayetteville AR
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Call for Participation: Research Study on Corporate Archives

My name is Michelle Witt, and I am a master’s student at UNC-Chapel Hill pursuing a degree in library science with a specialization in archives and records management. I am conducting a research study on the challenges that corporate archivists face in filling gaps in their collections. If you are a corporate archivist working for a Fortune 1000 company, I would ask that you consider joining this study. Participation involves one 60-minute interview with me via Zoom. For more information, please reach out to me at michemor@email.unc.edu.

If you have any questions or concerns about your rights as a research subject, you may contact the UNC-Chapel Hill Institutional Review Board at 919-966-3113 or IRB_subjects@unc.edu.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Michelle Witt

IRB Study # 22-3197

New Podcast Series from SAA’s Publications Board and AA Editorial Board

SAA is delighted to present Season 1 of Archives in Context, a podcast highlighting archival literature and technologies, and most importantly, the people behind them. Cosponsored by SAA’s Publications Board and American Archivist Editorial Board, the podcast offers a new medium for exploring the often moving and important work of memory-keeping. Season 1 features interviews with Kären M. Mason, Cal Lee, Michelle Caswell, Karen Trivette, Anthony Cocciolo, Dominique Luster, and stories from A Finding Aid to My Soul, an open mic event at ARCHIVES*RECORDS 2018. Listen to the full season now via the Archives in Context website, Google Play, Spotify, and iTunes.

AIEF: Call for Researchers: Industry in One Series

The ARMA International Education Foundation is currently seeking up to six (3 US, 3CA) researchers to work with us on a freelance basis. Each paper will identify the state of information management within the industry, highlighting records management in a condensed report (25-30 pages) for each of the following initial industries to be addressed: energy, finance, and legal. A report is to be generated for each topic by a subject matter expert (SME) to provide distinct United States and Canadian perspectives. It is conceivable that a SME with expertise and extensive experience in both countries could conduct research for both reports in a specific industry. In this case, the researcher would be awarded two contracts: one for the United States project, and one for the Canadian project. The Foundation would like to see this research address, at a minimum, the following questions:

* For the purposes of this research, define the scope of this industry and its role in the general economy.
* What is the primary regulatory agency or oversight body that oversees the industry?
* What are the information management-related risks for the industry?
* What record categories are critical to this industry and central to its operations?
* What are the primary laws and regulations that effect information management?
* What operational considerations affect information management?
* What are industry best practices for information management?
* What is the future outlook for the industry?
* Are records managers present in the industry? If not, who manages and controls the records?

The report will be reviewed prior to publication. A Foundation liaison will be assigned to the project and be a resource with the subject matter expert through its duration.
Available Funding: $2,000.00 (USD) per topic, per country, paid in three installments ($500, $500, $1,000).

Contract Term: To be negotiated. Goal is 3-6 months from the date of signed contract.
Applications: Please send a resume with a cover letter detailing why you are the person for this project, relevant experience, and suggestions for the project as email attachments to: coordinator@armaedfoundation.org

Copyright: Copyright will be retained by the Foundation.

Deadline for Applications: February 9, 2018

The AIEF is a funding resource for research and scholarships in the field of records and information management. The primary funding source is derived from concerned individuals and organizations in the profession. The Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit entity. Potential donors are invited to contact the foundation administration for additional information: coordinator@armaedfoundation.org or visit http://armaedfoundation.org for additional information about the organization.

Call for Chapter: Male Sex Work & Society

(reposted from the SAA Diverse Sexuality and Gender Discussion List)

Archival Research & Male Sex Work

Harrington Park Press is seeking a potential commissioned chapter author who might be interested in archival research in male sex work histories, culture, and lives.

This is for an upcoming Volume 2 companion volume to the 2014 work, Male Sex Work & Society.

Interested persons may send their CV and letter of interest to: <bcohen@harringtonparkpress>

William Cohen
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Harrington Park Press, LLC
New York NY

Call for Proposals: Academic Library Impact Research Grants

This is limited to ACRL members.

Call for Proposals 2018

In 2018 the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has allocated $20,000 to offer grants of up to $3,000 each for librarians to carry out new research in areas suggested by ACRL’s 2017 report Academic Library Impact: Improving Practice and Essential Areas to Research (prepared for ACRL by OCLC Research and available for download or purchase). This program is one of several developed by ACRL’s Value of Academic Libraries (VAL) Committee to support librarians in their efforts to demonstrate the impact of their work to a wider audience.

ACRL invites applications from librarians and information professionals seeking to conduct research that will demonstrate library contributions to student learning and success. The proposed project should aim to build on the foundations of the Academic Library Impact report and fill gaps in existing literature. The committee invites applicants to propose using any investigative methods appropriate to their research questions. These include but are not limited to standard quantitative and qualitative approaches, as well as critical evaluations, case studies, reflective essays, and (auto)ethnography. Proposals that involve collaboration between librarians and other higher education stakeholders, such as institutional researchers, faculty, administration, students, or community partners are also welcome.

Applications are due by 5pm Central Time on April 1, 2018. All applicants will be notified of their status by Friday, May 31, 2018. Grants funds will be disbursed within one month following completion of an agreement form.

It is anticipated that future calls for proposals will be issued in the coming years.

Eligibility

Each applicant must be a member of ACRL and employed as a librarian or information professional in a university, college, community college, or research library at the time of application for the grant.

Grants should not be sought for tuition or other degree-related expenses.

Application Instructions

The application coversheet is available to download here. Please fill it out, save it, and combine it into a single PDF with the other documents detailed below.

The application should be submitted by the principal investigator or project lead. It should include:

1) A completed cover sheet (use application form provided) with your name, contact information, ACRL membership information, and, if applicable, names and contact details of collaborators.

2) Your CV or résumé.

3) A brief abstract of the project (maximum 200 words).

4) Proposed budget, using the worksheet provided (download .docx file). The budget should total no more than $3,000, unless additional funding has been secured. The budget should itemize costs related to carrying out the proposed research. Possible budget items include: wages for personnel, travel for work on the project, research tools and materials, technology services, and dissemination costs.

a. Indicate whether you have applied for or received any other funding for this project. No additional financial commitments by the institution are required, but they will be weighed in the evaluation of the proposal.
b. Institutional overhead is not an acceptable budget item, nor should it be listed as institutional support.
c. Any costs related to dissemination that are part of the budget should comprise no more than 20% of the total.

5) A project proposal (maximum 1000 words), following the guidelines outlined below.

Proposal Requirements

The proposal should include:

1) Statement of the research objectives and question(s): These should align with at least one of the six priority areas identified in the Academic Library Impact report. Critical perspectives will also be considered.

2) Methodology and analysis strategy for answering the question(s): Identify the methods that will be used, why they are appropriate for addressing the research question(s), and how the results will be assessed.

a. Explain any ethical considerations including how you will protect the rights of participants in your research, if applicable. If your research may be subject to an IRB, address that process here.

3) Planned research activities: This section should contain a detailed description of how the research project will be organized and implemented, including a timeline of activities. These activities should relate to the stated budget. It is expected that the project should be completed within 12 months, though dissemination of results may take longer.

a. If the proposed research constitutes a piece of a larger project, please address how the work funded by this grant fits in and what results will be achieved within the time allotted.
b. For collaborative projects, state how each team member will contribute. Team members may come from different institutions.

4) Expected outcomes and plans for dissemination: This section should describe plans for sharing the results of the project. Grant recipients are required to disseminate their research outputs in a form of their choosing. We strongly encourage that the chosen avenue of dissemination be open access and that it reach a wide audience of stakeholders within higher education.

a. Possibilities include: a conference presentation, a peer-reviewed article, a book or book chapter, a webinar, or a digital project.
b. The ACRL VAL committee will be assembling a special issue of College & Research Libraries and facilitating special sessions at the ACRL 2019 conference for grant recipients. They will invite all interested recipients to submit to those two venues. ACRL also has other avenues for publication that we would be happy to discuss.
c. In any publication or presentation of results, the grantee should acknowledge that support for the project came from ACRL.

5) Benefit of this research: Articulate the significance of this research project in advancing the role of academic libraries within your institution and the wider higher education landscape.

Application Submission

The deadline for receipt of completed applications is 5 p.m. Central Time on April 1, 2018.

Electronic submissions are required. Email a single PDF file of all required documents to Sara Goek, sgoek@ala.org.

Applicants will receive notice of the status of their research grant applications by May 31, 2018 and funds will be disbursed to recipients’ institutions within one month following completion of an agreement form.

Criteria

A subcommittee of members from the VAL Committee will review proposals. In selecting recipients, they will have the following criteria in mind and will seek balance across research questions and institutions.

  • Need for support: Is this monetary support necessary for this research to be undertaken? Is the proposed research original enough to justify funding?
  • Need for research: Will this research help fill an existing gap in the literature? Does it investigate or provide new ways of thinking about the impact of academic libraries? Are the ideas well-conceived, developed, and articulated?
  • Project design: Is the proposed project clear and intriguing? Will the proposed methodology enable effective research? Is it feasible within the proposed timeframe and budget? Are the proposed outcomes realistic?
  • Alignment with objectives: How well does the proposed project align with the priority areas suggested in the Academic Library Impact Report? Or, if this research takes a critical perspective, does the proposal explain how it will further debate in the field and deepen our understanding? How well does it align with the Value of Academic Library goals and objectives as stated in ACRL’s strategic plan?

Obligations

Researchers should expect to provide evidence of the progress and outcomes of their work. Grant recipients must:

  1. Complete and sign an agreement form for funds to be disbursed.
  2. Report on the progress of their research six months into the project.
  3. Disseminate their results within one year of completion.
  4. Provide ACRL with a summary of the research results that may be disseminated online, for example as part of a blog post or other update to the community.
  5. Acknowledge ACRL’s support in any publication or presentation resulting from this research.

Further Information

Resources on designing and conducting research are available on ALA’s LARKS webpage.

See the application frequently asked questions for more details on this program.

If your questions are not answered on the website, please contact ACRL Program Manager and Mellon/ACLS Public Fellow Sara Goek at: sgoek@ala.org or 312-280-5841.

Call for Applications: Institute for Research Design in Librarianship 2018

We are issuing a call for applications for the Institute for Research Design in Librarianship 2018. We are seeking novice librarian researchers who are employed by academic libraries or research libraries outside an academic setting in the United States to participate in the Institute. We define “novice” broadly; if you feel that you would benefit from being guided throughout the entire research design process, we encourage your application. Librarians of all levels of professional experience are welcome to apply.

The year-long experience begins with a workshop held on the campus of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, from June 3-9, 2018, with arrival on campus on Saturday, June 2, and departure on Sunday, June 10.
The William H. Hannon Library has received a second three-year grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to offer this continuing education opportunity (this grant, IRDL-2, is from 2016-2019). Each year 20 librarians will receive, at no cost to them, instruction in research design and a full year of peer/mentor support to complete a research project at their home institutions; the learning experience, travel to and from Los Angeles, CA, accommodations, and food will be supplied to Scholars free of charge.

We seek librarians with a passion for research and a desire to improve their research skills. IRDL is designed to bring together all that the literature tells us about the necessary conditions for librarians to conduct valid and reliable research in an institutional setting. The cohort will be chosen from a selective submission process, with an emphasis on enthusiasm for research and diversity from a variety of perspectives, including ethnicity and type and size of library.

Selection criteria:

  • Commitment to the year-long process of participating in the IRDL research community and conducting the proposed study within the 2017-2018 academic year;
  • Significance of the research problem to the operational success of libraries or to the profession of librarianship;
  • Thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and clarity of the research proposal;
  • Enthusiasm for research and a desire to learn.

We will be accepting applications from December 1, 2017 to January 27, 2018. Scholars accepted to the Institute will be notified in early March 2018. Application information may be found at http://irdlonline.org/call-for-proposals/institute-overview/.

Please contact Project Directors with any questions about the Institute or the application process:
Marie Kennedy, Serials & Electronic Resources Librarian, Loyola Marymount University (marie.kennedy@lmu.edu)
Kristine Brancolini, Dean of the Library, Loyola Marymount University (brancoli@lmu.edu)

Research Study: Archives in Libraries

Part of supporting scholarship is helping others with their research. When they arise, I’m going to start posting calls about surveys, studies, and the like that are designed with a research study in mind. I don’t know if/how these will be published, but supporting each other in these endeavors helps build a research and scholarship community.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Good afternoon everyone,

I am developing a research proposal focused on the administrative dynamics surrounding archives that exist organizationally in libraries and the potential effects this parent-child relationship has on users. In particular, I am interested in talking with organizations that have reorganized the placement or structure of the archives unit within a library in the last 2 years. If you work in such an organization and are interested in participating in this study, please contact me at atodddiaz@towson.edu

Thank you in advance!

Ashley

Ashley Todd-Diaz, MSIS, MA, CA
Head of Special Collections and University Archives
Albert S. Cook Library
Towson University
Towson, Maryland

(Semi) Open Access: Taylor & Francis Journals

I recently found out that Taylor & Francis provides some content as open access. Much of what they have is behind subscription paywalls, but I am pleasantly surprised they offer a way to search their journals that’s available to anyone.

The search function is on their website. After a search, you’ll see both open and subscription content. On the left side is a box to check to limit to open access journals.

A quick search for “archives” yielded quite a few results. However, I know not all were relevant to the archival profession. But there are several library and archives journals published by Taylor & Francis, including Archives & Manuscripts, Journal of Archival Organization, Archives and Records, and others.

This is a helpful resource for the many archivists whose institutions don’t subscribe to the database. Enjoy!