Explore UCD

UCD Home >

ARCV40040

Academic Year 2026/2027

Archives and their Users - Advocacy and the Archives Gateway (ARCV40040)

Subject:
Archivistics
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Julie Brooks
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module considers the ways that archivists provide and promote access to collections in both physical and digital spaces. Drawing on more person-centred and participatory approaches, the module emphasises the need to understand users and their needs as well as recognising the barriers to access that exist. Access is situated in the context of international frameworks and best practice, and the role of an access policy is discussed. Students will develop understanding of the main practical and ethical considerations that arise when providing access to collections and will be introduced to the ways that archives can actively promote access via a range of outreach strategies including consideration of carrying out digitisation and oral history projects.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module the student should be able to:
• Identify ways to better understand users and user needs in developing appropriate frameworks for access;
• Experience person-centred approaches through using archives as a family history researcher;
• Develop an access policy;
• Formulate best practice procedures for running a physical research room and for managing access in online spaces;
• Recognise digitisation as a key means of supporting enhanced access and plan a digitisation project;
• Be familiar with a range of outreach strategies including oral history.

Indicative Module Content:

The module will cover the following broad areas:
Week 1: Introduction to module; what do we mean by access?; Week 2: Understanding users and their needs; Week 3: Frameworks for access provision; Weeks 4 & 5: Providing services for users; Weeks 6 & 7: Digitising archives; Week 8: reading week - no class; Weeks 9 and 10: Oral histories; Weeks 11 & 12: Development & implementation of outreach initiatives

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Proficient

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Competent

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Proficient

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 2

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 1

Reduce inequality within and among countries 1

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Lectures

22
Total

122

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a small-group module. It is taught through a two-hour weekly seminar. Each seminar, some of which feature contributions from guest lecturers, provides an overview of the week’s topic, focusing upon different aspects of providing access to archives, e.g. the development of access frameworks, managing the on- site and online research room, exhibitions etc. There is a focus upon individual active / task-based learning by means of class discussion, group work and in-class exercises. Advanced skills are developed through a focus on the experience of the user of archives, the evaluation of various outreach activities and planning the provision of services. Autonomous learning is advanced through ongoing assignments.

While there will be discussion in this module of the extent to which generative AI is being used by archivists to support and enhance access to archives, generative AI is not permitted to be used in this module. Any questions about this should be addressed to the module coordinator.

A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of History are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This can include oral moderation meetings where the student is invited in for a short meeting with the module coordinator to discuss the assignment. Moderation contributes to better informed marking.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Equivalents:
Archives and their Users (HIS40040)


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Carry out some family history research as a means of gaining understanding of the experience of being a user of archives and comment critically on what you experienced and learned. Week 7 Graded No
50
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Complete a fictional funding application making a case for an archive carrying out an oral history project. Week 15 Graded No
50
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual written feedback on the assignments is given on Brightspace after submission and grading. Individual oral feedback may also be given by appointment if requested by individual students.

The bibliography for this module will be provided on Brightspace.

Name Role
Mr Daniel Ayiotis Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 14:00 - 15:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.