Documentation and Research Methods

Registration, documentation and assessment of significance and value are central methods within the field of cultural heritage management. Such work constitutes the basis for management, communication and research tasks. The work demands knowledge of different types of source material and methods for collecting and analysing sources to provide the best possible information for decision-making. This course gives a thorough introduction to documentation and research methods and gives skills to be able to produce investigation reports and research literature. The main part of the course shall provide knowledge on different types of sources relevant to issues within the field of cultural heritage management, including knowledge on methods for collecting and analysing different types of sources, knowledge on archives and their organisation, on search techniques and on archive and research ethics. The course also has a project work where the emphasis is on the methodological aspects. The project work shall provide skills in collecting and using sources applied on a certain issue (chosen in agreement with the supervisor) and in discussing to what extent, the chosen method(s) are suitable for investigating the issue in question.

A candidate who passes this course is expected to have the following learning outcome according to the course curriculum, defined as knowledge and skills:

Knowledge

The candidate has thorough knowledge of

• different types of sources relevant to issues within the field of cultural heritage management
• the organisation of archives and of search techniques
• methods for documentation and source collection
• different analysing methods
• archive and research ethics

Skills

The candidate has

• advanced skills in collecting, systematising, interpreting and analysing sources relevant to issues within the field of cultural heritage management
• advanced skills in discussing cultural heritage management issues on the basis of available information
• based on project work experience in testing methods for research on a certain topic and question within the field of cultural heritage

Lectures, exercises, excursions, field work, archive and source studies and project work. Further information will be given at the beginning of the course. The students must attend min. 75 % of the lectures, exercises, excursions and field work. Handing in of short papers in connection with exercises, excursions and field work. Final project work which will be valued by the grades A-F.