Methods in Collection Management (PHD805)

Content

In Norway, the five archaeological university museums have a social mission to collect and manage physical and archival data from archaeology and related natural sciences, forming the basis for research. Insights into and an understanding of how archaeological collection management works methodologically, as the basis for further scientific research, is crucial.

The course is intended to provide insights into methods for collection management at university museums. The course provides knowledge and skills in physical and digital management of archaeological and natural science material and associated documentation, which constitute basic data for archaeological research in a broad sense.

Through practical handling of the physical material or documentation material that is analyzed in the PhD project, an awareness is made of how the collections are managed as scientific sources, and the logistics behind the preparation of the collections for research. Through archiving analysis results from the PhD project into digital management systems for collections and/or scientific archives, the topic opens for reflection on the sharing of research data, making it available for future studies.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

The course will provide insights into the practices and methods of collection management at university museums. The course will provide knowledge and skills in physical and digital management of archaeological and natural science material and archival documentation as basic data for research. It will provide knowledge about how to find relevant information about the material, how to apply for destructive analyses, and how to make research results available.

The candidate ...

• has advanced knowledge of the social mission of university museums, with particular reference to practices and methods in collection management
• can assess the application of different methods in research on data material from collections and archives, and is aware of the limitations in activating the data material do to issues with preservation and other ethical considerations
• can contribute to sharing new knowledge and documentation within the field, and understands the researcher's own responsibility for sharing analysis data

Skills

Through practical handling of the material and documentation, an awareness is created of how the collections are physically managed as scientific sources. In the course, the candiadate gains insight into ethical considerations in the tension between protection or activation of non-renewable research material, and the fundamental work behind the preparation of collections and archives for research. By gaining knowledge of how to archive analysis results into the museum's management system and archive system, and into various types of Open Data databases, the course opens up for reflections on the sharing of research data, making this available for future studies.

The candidate ...

• can plan and conduct research on archaeological and natural science material, and knows how this material practically is stored, retrieved and returned in the collections
• can make their research data available for the field by archiving analysis results in digital management systems and/or online Open Data databases
• can handle complex academic questions about the sharing of research data

General competence

The candidate ...

• can identify relevant ethical issues in the management and use of scientific source material and conduct their research with professional integrity
• can plan and carry out a research project in line with current research ethics norms, particularily as those of The National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences (NESH)
• can manage complex interdisciplinary tasks such as applications for, and implementation of, data analyses, and understands principles for collection management and research
• can relate critically and independently to terminology used in management databases
• can reflect on how their own analysis data can be used in future research, made available through international publication channels and through the sharing of open data
• can assess the need for the use of innovative methods

Required prerequisite knowledge

Exam

Coursework requirements

Requirements for taking the exam:

Completed 4-day course including practice, and active participation in group discussions

Course teacher(s)

Course coordinator:

Method of work

The course has syllabus literature that the candidate is expected to read and reflect on. The practical work will provide perspective and context to topics within the syllabus literature. The course's academic value for the candidate and relevance to their own research project are summarized in a reflection document.

Teaching:

The teaching is organized so that students will gain insight into the processes that lead from the collection of material to cataloguing and research. Teaching takes place over 4 days with 2 days of lectures on topics on collection management, research ethics, archiving and open data, 1 day of practical magazine work and 1 day of work with group work. Independent studies includes reading the syllabus, and written work in a reflection document.

The course includes the following elements:

• Pack and return material and/or deliver documentation analyzed in connection with the PhD project, or work with similar material
• Update the database for collection management, digital archive system and/or online Open Data databases with analysis results from the PhD project
• Write a reflection document based on experiences from the course and the given syllabus

Open for

Course assessment

Literature