Dear Sandra - responded below - I suspect you are already doing much that I
would like! - alun howkins
--On 20 April 2004 15:49 +0100 Sandra Koa Wing <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Apologies for the length of this email, but a little of your time would be
> much appreciated!
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -- ------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Dear all,
>
>
> We are in the process of preparing a bid for funds to convert to an
> electronic database all the handwritten record card indexes that contain
> the writing records of correspondents of the contemporary M-O Project
> since the project began in 1981. Having this 'metadata' more easily
> accessible will facilitate researchers in using the material, and the
> information could eventually be made accessible through the M-O website.
>
>
> Being able to find out exactly which directives a correspondent has
> responded to will, for example, facilitate longitudinal studies of
> correspondents' writing over a time period, or studies of responses to
> particular directives from correspondents of a particular demographic.
>
>
> The retroconversion project could be seen as relatively straightforward,
> but there is potential for the Archive to take advantage of this
> opportunity to fill in gaps in some of the information, and make the
> database as helpful for analysing the material as possible. It is crucial
> that we find out what information would be helpful for researching the
> directive responses, and it will guide the Archive in terms of what
> information should be gathered in the future. This is really important
> and warrants discussion - have you any thoughts on this? We are
> particularly interested in finding out what M-O material users at all
> levels and in different disciplines think, given that there are so many
> different ways in which the material can be used. I have typed a few
> questions below (Directive-style) off the top of my head just to start
> the ball rolling - some questions might not apply to everyone; please
> respond either to the list or to me personally.
>
>
> In what ways have you used/will you be using M-O material?
> What kinds of information (on the writers themselves) is most useful to
> your own research?
Ihave used Directives and diaries from 1937-46 and directives from the new
phase realted to the countryside and the 1995 directive on the countryside
was at mu initiative (thanks again MO). I will no doubt return to this
material, espeically wartime stuff. As others have said key for me is
class/gender/region/age to enable a simple placing of writers.
>
>
> What kinds of demographical information do you think the Archive should
> gather on M-O writers? (e.g. social class/no of children/marital
> status/formal educational qualifications/ethnic origin/sexual orientation)
> As above much of this extra material would be very useful
>
> If you were starting a collection of writing records, what information
> would you collect, ideally?
>
> As above
> In what ways might you want to analyse the information? (e.g. being able
> to find out which writers over the age of 30 living in the North West of
> England responded to the Spring 1994 directive part 2)
>
> That would be excellent!
> Have you any recommendations (or criticisms) of particular databases or
> qualitative data analysis software?
>
> No
>
> [An important side note: the Archive will continue to respect the
> anonymity of correspondents: names and addresses will not be made public
> through the database and we will continue to comply with the provisions
> of the Data Protection Act.]
>
> With many thanks for your valued participation,
>
> Sandra
>
> Sandra Koa Wing
> Development Officer for the Mass-Observation Project
> The Library
> University of Sussex
> Brighton BN1 9QL, UK.
>
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Telephone: ++44 (0)1273 87 2716
> Website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/library/massobs
>
> Join the Mass-Observation email discussion and annoucement list
> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/massobs
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