Research
Group Visits
Many people have never visited an archive before and so the prospect may be a little daunting. Something as simple as a pre-arranged group visit can help.
Group visits can include an introduction to using the searchroom and catalogues along with a demonstration of how to order and handle documents. You may also want to include a ‘behind the scenes’ tour so that you can get a feel for the extent of the available resources.
You may also be looking for more of a pre-planned visit, tailored to the focus of your project – for this relevant documents can be prepared beforehand and ready for you to see and use during your visit.
Research Training
More specialized training can also be provided, for example in relation to different types of documents from maps and school records to manorial documents and parish records. Specialised training can also be given in relation to a specific topic or skill such as family history, the history of a house or reading old handwriting.
Research planning, co-ordination and support
Any research project needs to both identify what it is trying to find out, and consider how it is going to organize, co-ordinate and record its work. It may require volunteers which need to be recruited and retained.
Past Forward archive services can help you plan your research project, identify relevant sources and help co-ordinate volunteers when they visit the searchroom
