Recovering women: a case study in academic-archive collaboration

How can archives and universities work together to build research skills and confidence among the public? This article examines one model based on a collaboration between The London Archives and the London School of Economics. The project used public involvement in an academic project to scaffold participants’ acquisition of research skills and independence, focusing on learning through research. This exploited the open-ended process of enquiry that characterizes much historical research as a mechanism to foster creative research work by novice historians. It did so within a framework that ensured their contributions had wider value. The project also developed an effective way to engage directly with potentially challenging material, exploring strategies for managing trauma-informed archival practice.