Practical Archival Skills Training: Introduction to Archival Research

From Domesday Book to the Leveson Enquiry, our historical records offer students a myriad of untapped research opportunities across a wide range of time periods and disciplines.

However, getting started in the archives can be a daunting prospect. To demystify the research process The National Archives has developed a programme of Practical Archival Skills Training, providing students with the key skills and knowledge needed to undertake academic research using the archives.

This in-person 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, our online catalogue; a tour of the archives; a display of some of the documents in our 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 our record specialists.

For further details, please see the programme below.

Who is this event for?

This onsite event is aimed at those new to researching in archives. You do not have to be a postgraduate student, but this day will be focused on academic research.

If you are interested in conducting other types of research at The National Archives, for example family history, please look out for other events that are tailored to these subject matters.

Price

Registration is £30, including tea and coffee on arrival. Lunch is not included but food and drink are available to purchase on site. We are committed to keeping the costs of PAST as low as possible. There are costs associated with the substantial staff time involved in preparing the sessions and in document delivery.

Accessibility

Accessibility information for the building can be found here, if you have any additional access needs that you would like to discuss please do email us.

If you have any questions or for more information, please see our website or email the team at [email protected]

Programme (subject to change)

09:30–10:00 Coffee and reader registration

• Tea and coffee in the cafe area.
• You will also need to use this time to register for a Reader’s Ticket in order to order documents later in the day. Reader registration can be busy so please give yourself plenty of time to do this.

10:00–10:15 Welcome and introductions

• An introduction to the staff who will be leading the programme and an explanation of the aims and objectives.
• You will be asked to introduce yourself to your fellow students and share your research interests.

10:15–11:15 Archival skills

• How to plan and organise your archival research.
• Introduction to using Discovery, our online catalogue.
• How to order original documents.

11:15-11:30 Break

11:30–12:30 Reading room tour/Finding and ordering documents

• The group will be split into two for:
• Tour of the reading rooms and introduction to the onsite resources available for your research [OR]
• Practical session in the reading room to practice searching for documents useful to your research using Discovery, our online catalogue. Please bring laptops or other mobile devices if possible for this session.

12:30–13:30 Lunch break

• Lunch is not provided. Food and drink can be purchased from our on-site café, or alternatively there are shops and cafés a short walk away in Kew Retail Park and near Kew Gardens station.

13:30–14:30 Reading room tour/Finding and ordering Documents

• The group will be split into two for:
• Tour of the reading rooms and introduction to the onsite resources available for your research [OR]
• Practical session in the reading room to practice searching for documents useful to your research using Discovery, our online catalogue. Please bring laptops or other mobile devices if possible for this session.

14:30–15:30 Document handling workshop

• A workshop on how to handle documents safely, led by a member of the Collection Care Department

15:30-16:30 Document display and questions

• A chance to look at and handle some of the broad range of documents held at The National Archives, introduced and explained by our specialist staff.
• Opportunity to ask questions to specialist staff
• The room will remain open, and you will have the option to take a comfort break within this session.

16:30 onwards Reading room practical

• An opportunity to start your research with the documents ordered earlier during the day in the document reading rooms, with staff members on hand for guidance for the first half hour (16:30-17:00)
• The National Archive’s reading rooms will be open until 19:00, if you wish to continue your research after the workshop. Please note that this will be individual learning, and staff from the workshop will not be available.

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