LWMHAI-Archival Internship

Module Provider: School of Law
Number of credits: 40 [20 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Spring / Summer term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2022/3

Module Convenor: Prof Rosemary Auchmuty
Email: R.Auchmuty@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:
Students taking this module will undertake a three month internship working for a minimum of three days per week at the National Archives or other library or archive with which the School of Law has agreed internship arrangements at the relevant time. This will enable them to gain practical experience of cataloguing and archival management; and will allow them to develop their knowledge of the history and management of a body of archival material which they are using in the research for their dissertation.

Aims:
This module aims to enable students to gain practical experience of cataloguing and managing a body of archival material, and thereby to develop and enhance their knowledge of the history and management of that material. It aims to develop an understanding of how the history, management and cataloguing of archives influences the sources available and the outcomes of research which utilises them.

Assessable learning outcomes:
Assessable outcomes
After completing the module, students will:
£ Be able to define the strengths and weaknesses of their chosen body of material as sources for both lawyers and historians, and to relate the history of their survival and current preservation.
£ Demonstrate a familiarity with modern cataloguing techniques and an awareness of the implications of access strategies for contemporary research.
£ Be able to assess the impact of modern archive management strategies upon the conservation and presentation of original source materials and demonstrate an awareness of the importance of such strategies in guiding scholastic enterprise.

Additional outcomes:
Additional Outcomes
This module will also encourage the development of project management, team working and communication skills and personal responsibility through the opportunity to work within a team of archivists while undertaking work on an individual project.

Outline content:
Students will undertake a three month internship working at the National Archives or other library or archive with which the School of Law has agreed arrangements at the relevant time.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Teaching and learning is primarily through the completion of a three month internship. Students undertaking an internship must meet with, and obtain the consent of, the programme director in the spring term. The programme director will liaise with the dissertation supervisor and the archive/library in which the internship will take place to ensure that suitable internship project(s) can be identified for each student taking this module. During the internship the student will work for a minimu m of three days per week at their internship organisation. They will also have three supervision meetings with their dissertation supervisor or the programme director, who will liaise as appropriate with the archivist or librarian who is supervising the student£s work during their internship. At the end of the internship the supervising archivist or librarian will submit a short written report on the work undertaken by the student.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Placement		144	144
Guided independent study:		56	56
Total hours by term		200	200
Total hours for module	400

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	100

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:
Students must complete a portfolio comprised of the following elements:
£ Part 1: A reflective diary or journal detailing the activities undertaken;
£ Part 2: A 6 page (formulated in accordance with the School of Law£s Assessed Work Rules) analysis of how the history and management of the materials with which they have been working, and the methods for cataloguing them, has shaped the availability of sources and the research done using them, and considering how this analysis will shape the student£s future research.
£ Part 3: Sample(s) of work undertaken during the internship with a brief commentary explaining the nature of the work and how it links to the analysis in Part 2. This section should not exceed 6 pages (formulated in accordance with the School of Law£s Assessed Work Rules) including the samples.
£ Part 4: A signed document from the organisation with which the internship was undertaken certifying attendance.

Formative assessment methods:

Penalties for late submission:

The below information applies to students on taught programmes except those on Postgraduate Flexible programmes. Penalties for late submission, and the associated procedures, which apply to Postgraduate Flexible programmes are specified in the policy £Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes£, which can be found here: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf
The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:
50% overall

Reassessment arrangements:
See School Guide (Programme Assessment), but note that only the failed element(s) must be retaken with marks for the passed element(s) being carried forward.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books: 

2) Specialist equipment or materials: 

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear: 

4) Printing and binding: 

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification: 

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence: 

Last updated: 22 September 2022