1st PhD Conference in Archives and Records Management, University of Liverpool

Citation

Spence, J. (2005), "1st PhD Conference in Archives and Records Management, University of Liverpool", Records Management Journal, Vol. 15 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/rmj.2005.28115cae.001

1st PhD Conference in Archives and Records Management, University of Liverpool

Conferences

1st PhD Conference in Archives and Records Management, University of Liverpool, 28-29 July 2005

Keywords: Conferences, Archives management, Records management, United Kingdom

The first ever conference concentrating on PhD research in the Archives and Records Management (ARM) field took place in Liverpool on 28-29 July this year. An Arts and Humanities Research Council funded event, hosted jointly by the Universities of Liverpool and Wales, Aberystwyth, the one-and-a-half day conference was attended by a combination of currently registered PhD students, academics, and prospective doctoral students. The event was organised with several aims:

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  to allow current students to share their research work with like-minded individuals;

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  to build up a body of knowledge on ARM research in the UK;

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  to contribute to a strategic framework for future ARM research;

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  to establish a research and professional contact network; and

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  to raise awareness of issues being faced by practitioners.

There were contributions from all UK universities offering courses in archives or records management, demonstrating an eagerness to share information, pool knowledge and find out what other research is being conducted. Attendees came from all over the UK; one delegate even travelled from Switzerland to find out what the ARM research environment is like in the UK.

The first half-day comprised an informal, ice-breaker workshop where students and academics broke into two groups to discuss the practicalities of undertaking a PhD, the nature of the ARM research environment and research methodology. These were lively sessions, which opened up many issues for further discussion the following day.

The conference proper opened with a stimulating keynote address from Professor Michael Moss, who spoke eloquently on trans-disciplinarity and the need for archivists and records managers to engage more directly with philosophy and to demonstrate the relevance of our field from a philosophical perspective. He argued that we have important contributions to make to important social issues, such as the proposed introduction of ID cards or the implications of the Hutton report, but that we allow others to control our agenda, because we take an essentially utilitarian view. He described the role of doctoral students as “vital” and appealed for research efforts to relate to other disciplines such as anthropology and ethnography, to bring an end to the introspective agenda that currently dominates ARM research.

Six papers were given by students. From the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Julie Mathias discussed “Cataloguing estate collections and the needs of the user: a comparison and evaluation of a variety of cataloguing methodologies over time” and Nicole Schulz considered “The records continuum – a real paradigm shift?”. Peter Sebina, University College London, gave a paper entitled “Qualitative methods: a tool for unravelling the archival landscape”, and Azman Mat Isa of the Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute, Glasgow University, discussed “Records management and accountability of governance”. Andrea C. Johnson, University College Cork, Ireland, asked the question “Are targeted user-centred interfaces the key in facilitating the conversion of the traditional non-user to a user of archives?”, and Jackie Spence, also from Aberystwyth, explored “Electronic records management for SMEs and voluntary organisations”.

What was interesting about the papers was the range – theoretical, methodological, applied – and the broad coverage of the ARM landscape that they represented. The only student not directly from an ARM background was Andrea Johnson, a computer scientist seeking to work with archivists on her research. Presenting students were at different stages of their research work; some almost complete, one a prospective student, and there was a combination of those researching full- and part-time.

The keynote address for the afternoon was given by Professor John Feather, who discussed “Research and the ARM landscape“, providing some valuable insights from his perspective as Chair of RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) Sub-panel 37, which covers the ARM discipline. Professor Feather considered issues such as the definition of research, where ARM fits into the Library and Information Science domain, and the relationships between research and professional practice. Picking up on Professor Moss’s themes from the morning, he explored overlaps and opportunities for cross-domain research. Prospective students benefited greatly from this presentation, which clearly and succinctly explained what was expected from a good piece of research, emphasising the need for relevant methodology and quality based upon assessment of the originality, significance and rigour of the work. Professor Feather concluded his address by exhorting the ARM community to agree and develop a sound intellectual base for research in what is still a relatively immature discipline.

In the closing session, ideas for taking forward the ARM agenda were discussed and it was agreed that the conference had been of value to both current and prospective students, and that perhaps a bi-annual conference could be organised. In the mean time, the issues arising from this inaugural conference would be taken forward by FARMER (the Forum for Archives and Records Management Education and Research, which comprises all of the UK academic departments in the discipline) to its 2006 conference at Aberystwyth. A full report on the conference with specific actions and outcomes is expected soon.

Jackie SpenceUniversity of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK