HIS42690 Delving into the Archives

Academic Year 2021/2022

Why do we have a National Archives of Ireland? And why are certain archival collections prioritised for preservation in national archives? How does an archivist mediate the record to users through decisions around preservation, digitization, cataloguing and access? How does archival practice reflect broader power structures around gender, race, ethnicity, and class? how do these practices impact the type of histories we write and, whose history is told? If repositories prioritise textual sources, how can we access the histories of people with dominant oral traditions and cultures? And how can we access the voices and histories of the marginalized, peoples whose histories are usually mediated through official/state sources? In exploring these questions, students will examine the critical theories and ideas around archival construction and the materials that we use for historical research. They will work with specific collections in UCD Archives and RCPI. This module will be of particular relevance to students taking the MA in Irish History and the MA in History of Health and Welfare in Society.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of the module students should:
a) have developed study, writing and communication skills appropriate to level 4.
b) have developed a critical understanding of the topic as part of broader changes in society through writing essays and participation in seminars.
c) be able to assess a range of historical and inter-disciplinary approaches within the discipline.
d) be able to handle historical sources, and to evaluate a range of primary sources and their potential use to historians appropriate to level 4.

Indicative Module Content:

During seminars we will explore various topics including: 'Archives, Nationhood and Sovereignty'; 'Religious and Care Institutions: Records and Access'; 'Community Archives '; 'Ethnicity and Archival Practises: Traveller Community'; 'Invisible Histories: Gender Perspectives'; 'Oral History and ‘Witnessing’: Theory and Practice'; 'The Archive and Social Justice Campaigns'

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

20
Project Supervision

6
Specified Learning Activities

90
Autonomous Student Learning

104
Total

220
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a small-group, seminar-based module. It is taught through a two-hour weekly seminars. The weekly sessions provides an overview of the week’s topic, focusing upon key historical trends, debates and events and is focused upon individual active / task-based learning by means of group debate, discussion and student presentations. Advanced research, writing and citation skills are developed through a combined individual student presentations and a semester-long 2,500 word research blog to be published online. Autonomous learning is advanced through work on discrete archival collections (RCPI; UCDA), student-led debate, discussion of set primary sources, submission of learning journals/online discussion forms, and / or student presentations each week. Please see module handbook for details. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: See handbook Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

60
Project: Students will produce a 2,500-word research blog to be published on School websites as appropriate. It will be based on selected archival collections. Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

40

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, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on the journals will be given in written and oral form throughout the trimester and by appointment in one-to-one meetings. Oral feedback will be given by peers during activity.. Written and oral feedback will be provided on an ongoing basis on preparatory plans and primary and secondary source bibliographies for end-of-semester Research Project Blog. Feedback on the end-of-semester Research Project Blog will be given by appointment in one-to-one meetings. Ongoing oral feedback on participation during seminar discussion and any online discussion.

Name Role
Dr Elizabeth Mullins Lecturer / Co-Lecturer