The Function and Content of Research Methods in Graduate Archival Studies Education

Abstract

Education is fundamental to establishment and ongoing vitality of any profession. The mastering of a body of knowledge and its practical application is an essential element in definition of any profession. Canadian archivists, while sometimes engaging in a debate over definition of education versus training, have long recognized importance of learning in defining their profession and its practice.' How and where archivists should be educated, and what that education should include, has been a source of continuing debate in both archival literature and profession as a whole for at least thirty years.2 The same period has also seen an increased recognition of importance of research to profession, but relatively little attention has been given to relationship between two. The purpose of this article is to review role of both research process in general and research techniques and skills in particular as integrd components of graduate professional archival education. It is beyond scope of paper to review and analyse substantial body of literature discussing degree to which archival studies actually is or is not a di~cipline.~ Nonetheless, paper is based on fundamental assumption that archival studies is indeed a discipline, and it is that perspective that arguments presented here will be considered. The need for a strong body of research as a means of developing and strengthening profession has long been recognized and commented upon by archivists. Richard Cox found knowledge or systematic theory to be a basic attribute of a profession, and suggested that the profession's specialized knowledge is developed through systematic research.. . . 4 Cox, writing jointly with Helen Samuels, also noted that staff members at archival repositories, students and faculty of comprehensive archival education programs, and scholars in allied fields can all make meaningful contributions to this research.. . . commitment to research is part of an archivist's role as a professional. Theory and research have long been identified as essential elements of a Writing about research centred on archival use, Lawrence Dowler proposed that from this research, archivists will gradually cumulate theories or principles which give meaning to idea of a distinct archival profe~sion.~ Arguing a somewhat

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