Submitted by Jay Richardson on 30 Aug 2024 - 11:32am
This event is also offered on 3 December.
From Domesday Book to the Leveson Enquiry, the National Archives' historical records offer students a myriad of untapped research opportunities across a wide range of time periods and disciplines.
With so many options, however, getting started in the archives can be a daunting prospect. Many students have questions which they are too afraid to ask. How will I know where to go? What do I need to bring with me? How do I find records for my research? How do I order documents? Do I need to use gloves? How can I be sure I'm not wasting my time?
It can often feel like you're the only one who doesn't know what you're doing, but it's not true!
To demystify the research process The National Archives has developed a programme of Postgraduate Archival Skills Training, PAST, providing students with the key skills and knowledge needed to undertake academic research using the archives.
This introduction day will explain how to get started with archival research, the importance of knowing the history and structure of a collection to navigate the records, and how to make the most of your time on site.
Sessions include an introduction to using Discovery, the online catalogue, a tour of the archives, a display of some of the documents in the collection and a training session on handling collections safely.
Students will also have the opportunity to identify, order, and view original documents for their research, guided by the National Archives' record specialists.
