This project will explore the research potential of the University of Reading’s Special Collections, Museum of English Rural Life, and Typography and Ephemera archival collections which connect with research conducted by the Centre for International Business History (Henley Business School).
Department: International Business & Strategy
Supervised by: Peter Miskell and Lucy Newton
From 2017-2019 the Heritage & Creativity Institute for Collections is engaged in an ambitious strategy to catalyse the research potential of the University of Reading’s collections. It is achieving this through the creation of strategy ‘Research Frameworks’ for key collections in collaboration with professional and academic colleagues. One of the key collections strengths has been identified as ‘Business History. The University holds significant collections related to business history that have potential to be further utilised in securing funding for academic research and post-graduate research and impact/ public engagement projects. This project, in collaboration with the Centre for International Business History, will explore and communicate the research potential of these collections with the aim of feeding into strategic funding bid development over the next 5 years. The student will scope the research potential around themes of business history in the University’s Special Collections, The Museum of English Rural Life archive, and the Typography and Ephemera Collections. The student will compile a detailed guide to relevant collections aimed at helping academic researchers to include collections in bid development. They will also compile a literature review exploring the extent of current research on these and similar collections and identifying key academics and partners who might work with the University of Reading in future. The project will also raise the profile of the collections and the collections research aspect of the Centre for International Business History by writing a series of posts in which key academics are interviewed about their work and relevant insights from the collections.
- Using the two Reading Rooms to identify and index key items. - Researching the significance of key items in the collections. - Creating a guide to collections related to business history in detail for researchers and students. - Compiling a literature review of relevant academic research using these or similar collections. - Conducting a series of interviews with key academics regarding the modern relevance of historic collections, to be written up as a series of blog posts.
- A working familiarity with aspects of business history. - Independent study - Use of databases and academic search engines. - Written communication
- Enhanced knowledge of business history. - Skills working with rare books, archives, artworks, and objects. -Communicating rand interpreting research and collections - Interviewing technique and Blog writing.
The MERL/Special Collections Reading Room
Dates and hours to be agreed with the selected student.
Monday 04 June 2018 - Friday 28 September 2018
The post will be advertised centrally on the UROP website between 19th February and 29th March 2018. Students should submit their CV and Cover Letter directly to the Project Supervisor (click on supervisor name at the top of the page for email). Successful candidates will then be invited to interview.