Re-using the archive for an exploration of children and young people's personal experiences of death, : a case study Joanna Bornat and Jane Ribbens McCarthy, The Open University Voices and the Archive: Oral History Research and Researchers, Novella Seminar, Thomas Coram, Research Unit, 20 November 2013

Paper Outline The Children and Personal Experiences of Death (CAYPED) project Oral history and Secondary Analysis CAYPED and the re-use of archived interview data Overview of collections visited Some observations on what so far found What next for CAYPED’s plan for data re-use?

The Children and Young People’s Personal Experiences of Death (CAYPED) project 1. To examine institutional processes, and cultural representations and discourses over the time period, to consider whether and how understandings of childhood and youth have been positioned in relation to death and bereavement, in general and localised social and cultural contexts in the UK. 2. To examine narratives and other sources of personal experience, to provide insight into experiences of death prior to adulthood, in local and relational contexts, and consider how this is implicated in individual biographies over variable periods of time. 3. To draw upon such analyses to consider how such cultural and generational changes and continuities have both informed, and reflected, policies and practices in relation to early experiences of death.

Oral history and Secondary Analysis Reasons: assess the credibility of new research and/or the generalisability of small studies by looking at established data supplement one’s own primary data, e.g. as exploratory analyses prior to new data collection provide rich descriptive information, e.g. to provide an historical perspective reveal new methodological insights by reflecting on previously conducted research gain further insight on hard to reach populations or sensitive topics without further intrusion into vulnerable populations generate new findings by analysing ‘old’ data from a ‘new’ research context and/or lens

CAYPED and the re-use of archived interview data Consultancy tasks: To conduct secondary analysis of archived personal sources, such as diaries, correspondence, interviews and autobiographies, as well as qualitative data from in-depth life history interviews … concerned with people’s personal life course and identified as relevant to the research questions.

How to choose or find suitable collections ‘…the most valuable qualitative datasets for future re- analysis are likely to have three qualities: firstly the interviewees have been chosen on (a) convincing sample bases; secondly, the interviewees are free-flowing but follow a life story form, rather than focussing on the researcher’s immediate themes; and thirdly, when practicable re-contact is not ruled out’. (Thompson, 2000)

Overview of collections visited or noted so far National Collections: UK Data Services (was Qualidata) Growing up in Stepfamilies, 50; Fishing Community in East Anglia and Scotland, 129; Families Social Mobility and Ageing, 170; Mothers Alone: Poverty and Fatherless Families, 116 Timescapes Potentially: Inventing Adulthoods c 30 in ‘showcase’; Children Creating Kinship, 41; Siblings and Friends, 50; Young Lives and Times, c 29; The Dynamics of Motherhood, 62; Masculinities, Identities and Risk, 46; Work and Family Lives, 14. British Library Millennium Memory Bank, 6069; National Life Story Collection, c 1000; Fishing Industry and Community in East Anglia and Scotland, 124?. Imperial War Museum Potentially huge but keyword searching reduced to between Regional oral history collections Elizabeth Roberts collection, 545; Penny Summerfield Collection c100; Kings Cross Voices, 300; Ambleside Oral History Archive 450+; Lorton & Derwent Fells Local History Society, ?39; Birmingham City Council’s Millennium Project, 150; Museum of London >500 hours; Planned Environment Therapy Trust; Hampshire Record Office >500; Worcestershire Archives, 26 projects; Basque Refugees Project, 30.

Some observations so far Variability – types of collection – forms of preservation – amount of linked metadata Searchability Significance of time

Types of collection Academic, thematic, community Forms of preservation from audio cassette with brief details to digitalised fully transcribed data; assembled collections vs lists Availability of metadata varied levels of information about collections: size, date, who involved, how funded, publications etc. Variability

Searchability Issues arising from: – flexibility of search tools; – ‘death’ as a search term; – managing large collections; – double-thinking the summariser’s approach; – original researcher’s or archivist’s anticipation of re-use

Significance of Time Changes in oral history – shift from empirical, positivist approaches eg of E Roberts’ and 1980s to more reflective interviewing style of 2000s Growth in range types and forms and rationale for community initiatives and funding: MSC to HLF; interest from commercial sponsors; role of broadcast media SSRC of 1970s compared with ESRC and AHRC today – influence of impact; re- use debates and ethics Neglected themes, groups, experiences – overall collections come over as predominantly white, with exceptions EMOHP

How to choose or find suitable collections ‘…the most valuable qualitative datasets for future re- analysis are likely to have three qualities: firstly the interviewees have been chosen on (a) convincing sample bases; secondly, the interviewees are free-flowing but follow a life story form, rather than focusing on the researcher’s immediate themes; and thirdly, when practicable re-contact is not ruled out’. (Thompson, 2000)

What next for CAYPED’s plan for data re-use? More searches – any additional collections suggested Sampling strategy to maximise potential for diversity of experience– collections offer potential of wide range of experiences relevant to time period and across class, gender, occupation, ethnicity (to an extent) – to draw a theoretical sample Develop a rationale for a funding council bid (AHRC) which will allow differences in searchability to be effectively costed And – to take advice from as many people as possible!