What are the most common mistakes when conducting archival research?

由人工智能和领英社区提供技术支持

Archival research is a valuable skill for historians, journalists, genealogists, and other researchers who want to explore original sources and uncover hidden stories. However, archival research also poses many challenges and pitfalls that can affect the quality and validity of your findings. In this article, you will learn about some of the most common mistakes when conducting archival research and how to avoid them.

此文章中的业界达人

由社区从 6 条内容中精选。了解更多

1 Not preparing adequately

Before you visit an archive, you should do some preliminary research on its collections, policies, and procedures. You should also have a clear research question and a plan for what you want to find and how you will use it. Not preparing adequately can lead to wasted time, frustration, and missed opportunities. You might overlook relevant sources, violate the archive's rules, or lose track of your goals and objectives.

添加您的观点

Paul Eder, PhD

I Lead You to New Insights | Strategy Consulting, Artificial Intelligence, & Data Innovation | Author of FIRESTARTERS
举报内容
Researchers must define appropriate questions and align data collection techniques. Many youthful researchers don't plan their analyses ahead of time. They often discover that they collected the wrong kinds of data for the analyses they had hoped to conduct.

已翻译

赞
Connor Joyce

Adopt Generative AI Effectively | Writer, Speaker, Advisor | Ex-Microsoft, Twilio, BetterUp, Deloitte
举报内容
Confirmation Bias. Especially when looking at large archives it is likely one can find something that confirms every belief. To avoid this, start with topic areas and document any information that pertains to it trying to avoid any personal editing. As your research continues begin to form detailed questions, ensuring you document any insights that relate to it whether or not it confirms or denies your opinion.

已翻译

赞
Chris Sellors
举报内容
Accepting the first piece of information that they find, copy and pasting from other peoples trees. I found one tree the other day that had an incorrect date if birth, but they had the 1939 Register attached with the right date on it!

已翻译

赞

2 Not taking notes properly

Taking notes is an essential part of archival research, as it helps you document your sources, organize your thoughts, and analyze your data. However, not taking notes properly can compromise your research and cause problems later on. You should always record the full citation and location of each source, as well as the context, content, and significance of the information you extract. You should also use a consistent and reliable system for storing, labeling, and backing up your notes.

添加您的观点

3 Not evaluating sources critically

Archival sources are not neutral or objective; they are products of their historical and social contexts, and they may reflect the biases, perspectives, and agendas of their creators. Therefore, you should not accept them at face value or treat them as facts. You should evaluate them critically, using criteria such as credibility, reliability, accuracy, and relevance. You should also compare and contrast different sources, and look for gaps, contradictions, and inconsistencies.

添加您的观点

Connor Joyce

Adopt Generative AI Effectively | Writer, Speaker, Advisor | Ex-Microsoft, Twilio, BetterUp, Deloitte
举报内容
Critically analyzing sources to understand their bias is critical in any sort of literature review. Everyone is incentivized by some reward and understanding why a certain insights was shared is a great way to assess its quality. Academics seek publishing to advance their career, what results were left in their desk? Consulting companies seek to make a point to help sell services, what are they not sharing? Professional researchers are constantly being pressured on multiple front, what bias have they incorporated? All these questions should be asked when using others insights.

已翻译

赞

4 Not respecting ethical principles

Archival research involves ethical responsibilities towards the archive, the sources, and the people or groups represented by them. You should respect the archive's rules and regulations, and handle the sources with care and caution. You should also respect the rights, privacy, and dignity of the people or groups whose lives and experiences are recorded by the sources. You should avoid plagiarism, misrepresentation, or exploitation of the sources, and acknowledge their limitations and sensitivities.

添加您的观点

5 Not communicating effectively

Archival research is not a solitary or isolated activity; it requires effective communication with various stakeholders, such as archivists, librarians, fellow researchers, and audiences. You should communicate clearly, respectfully, and professionally with the archive staff, and seek their guidance and assistance when needed. You should also communicate your research findings and contributions in a clear, concise, and engaging way, using appropriate formats and platforms for your intended audiences.

添加您的观点

6 Not reflecting on your own role

Archival research is not a neutral or objective process; it is influenced by your own assumptions, values, and interests, as well as by the power dynamics and relationships between you and the sources. Therefore, you should reflect on your own role and positionality as a researcher, and how they affect your choices, interpretations, and conclusions. You should also be aware of the potential impacts and implications of your research, and how it may affect or be affected by the wider social and historical contexts.

添加您的观点

Gert Wijlage

Curator DeFKa Research
举报内容
Not forgetting to share your doubts concerning the strictness of archiving criteria. Better to stimulate a second opinion as follow/up of researching.

已翻译

赞

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

添加您的观点

加载更多内容

Research

+ 关注

给文章评分

我们借助人工智能创建了此文章。您认为这篇文章怎么样？

很棒不太好

举报此文章

查看全部

What are the most common mistakes when conducting archival research?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Not preparing adequately

2 Not taking notes properly

3 Not evaluating sources critically

4 Not respecting ethical principles

5 Not communicating effectively

6 Not reflecting on your own role

7 Here’s what else to consider

Research

给文章评分

感谢您的反馈

更多Research相关文章

更多相关阅读内容

What are the most common mistakes when conducting archival research?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Not preparing adequately

2 Not taking notes properly

3 Not evaluating sources critically

4 Not respecting ethical principles

5 Not communicating effectively

6 Not reflecting on your own role

7 Here’s what else to consider

Research

给文章评分

感谢您的反馈

查看其他技能