This project will research the ways in which newly produced oral histories can be used to enrich and contextualise resources in digitised archives, adding perspectives that are often absent in collections with colonial histories.
The research will focus explicitly on how to streamline the addition of oral histories—created with low threshold digital technologies—to existing archives, exploring methodological approaches and technological solutions that take into account the diverse needs of contributors, curators, and end users. The research is meant to privilege a user perspective, reflecting critically on how shaping the system influences its content and its reception.
The project combines ethnography, critical cultural heritage and digital humanities and it will aim to produce concrete suggestions for implementation. These suggestions may encompass the data modelling and/or a graphic user interface. The research methodology involves the creation of oral histories specifically connected to resources in an existing archive, the co-creation of new workflows with all stakeholders, and an evaluation of the benefits.
Principal Investigator: Dr Valeria Vitale (Digital Humanities Institute)
Apply for a PhD on this project
We welcome research proposals from PhD candidates that address this project. While the project was initially born in the context of archaeological archives, the candidate is expected to select their own case study, and work closely in collaboration with the chosen institution.
The successful candidate will have experience with working with communities, a good understanding of archival metadata standards, and familiarity with the principles of interface design.