I’m delighted that this partnership has been made possible by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, The National Archives and King’s. The studentship will ultimately enable better understanding of how to support user wellbeing in digital and physical spaces. Given that the outcome of family history research can be unpredictable, especially when unexpected or difficult information is unearthed.
Dr Anna Woodham, PhD Supervisor & Senior Lecturer in Museum and Heritage Studies
20 May 2024
King's launches doctoral partnership with The National Archives
The new scheme sees recipients of the doctoral studentship work with The National Archives to understand family historians’ emotional responses to Second World War military service records.
The Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries at King’s and The National Archives have announced a fully funded collaborative doctoral studentship starting October 2024, under the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Scheme.
The successful candidate will contribute to research exploring how family historians access military service records and the different stages of their research journey.
As individual service records are transferred to The National Archives and made open to the public, many individuals will be able to access information about their own parents, and, possibly information that has the potential to be upsetting.
Some records are from colonial contexts or reflect histories of forced migration. Individuals are often accessing documentary accounts of wartime histories that were untold by their relatives.
This context brings sharply into focus the possibility that users will have encounters with records that evoke a traumatic response, highlighting the need for greater research into this area.
Dr Elizabeth Haines, PhD Supervisor & Team Leader, Overseas and Defence, The National Archives
This studentship for the King’s and The National Archive partnership is open to both Home and International applicants and can be studied either full or part-time. The successful candidate will be based at both institutions with supervision from Dr Anna Woodham (King’s) and Dr Elizabeth Haines (The National Archives).
The closing date for applications is 11:59am Monday 17 June 2024.
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Senior Lecturer in Museum & Heritage Studies