Thread by @RWLDproject

1/15
How do we do history?
And who does it?

Big questions to start with! But I want us to think methods.

In this paper I'll be looking at railway history, but it applies to all 'types' of history really.

I want to make the case for collaboration & breaking barriers.

#NTiHoR

2/15 I'm thinking from an academic & a British context - but we see hints there may be similarities elsewhere (@DrJSchramm's paper, next, is a good fit!).

We're fortunate so many people are interested in railway history - a great advantage over other topics.

#NTiHoR

3/15 There's a long & rich tradition of openness in railway history, bringing together lots of different types of researcher: amateur, enthusiast, academic, & more.

The @JTransportHist, for example, started off over 60 yrs ago as a mix of amateur & academic work.

#NTiHoR

4/15 The @RailwayMuseum engages with & encourages research by enthusiasts, academics, family historians & more, as do bodies like @RailwayandCanal.

Collaboration isn't new.

But there are divisions, too, which make collaboration challenging.

#NTiHoR

5/15 Some types of research & interest have become valued over others (depending on your perspective!).

I characterise grossly, but academics can be dismissive of 'rivet counters' (those with an eye for detail, often v technical).

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6/15 And those with great technical understanding can be dismissive of academic theory or more cultural railway history research.

To the academic community, railway history is all-too-frequently derided as somehow silly, 'playing trains', rather than as a serious topic.

#NTiHoR

7/15 That might reflect a failing on our part, in not showing how relevant transport, railway & mobility history is to ALL aspects of past life.

These divides reflect other 'hierarchies' of value: why don't family historians & academics work together more, for example?

#NTiHoR

8/15 Should we bridge these divides?

ABSOLUTELY!

If we can recognise that we're all trying to understand the past - perhaps in different ways, with different methods & to different ends - we can learn from each other.

We'll produce better & more exciting history!

#NTiHoR

9/15 An example is the Railway Work, Life & Death project.

An institutional collaboration between @UoP_History, @RailwayMuseum & @MRCWarwick, & working with @UkNatArchives, we're making info better available on accidents to British & Irish railway staff, c.1890-1939.

#NTiHoR

10/15 At the heart of the project are small volunteer teams, full of wonderful people!

Only collaboration makes the project possible: a massive THANK YOU to all involved.

That includes @GordonDudman, presenting tomorrow: wonderful to see him collaborating in all sorts!

#NTiHoR

@GordonDudman 11/15 Volunteers are transcribing & researching some of the 100s of 1000s of staff accidents, helping us see the individuals affected & their families.

A lone researcher would take *years* to do a tiny proportion of this.

More on the project:

railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk

#NTiHoR

12/15 So far we've released c.6,500 cases; we're cleaning up another 20,000 for release.

And people WANT this information. Over 6,000 people have downloaded our data across the world. They've offered us cases not yet in our data, taking collaboration in new directions.

#NTiHoR

13/15 It's not easy to run this sort of collaboration - it's time-consuming & needs support.

We haven't got it all right & we don't have all the answers.

BUT ... it is hugely rewarding. We’ve learnt lots from each other. I certainly think I'm a better historian for it.

#NTiHoR

14/15 Each volunteer brings different knowledge, approaches, insights: different expertise.

Recognising & valuing those different expertises opens up more possibilities for historical understanding.

Together we can improve railway history, & history more widely.

#NTiHoR

15/15 Thanks to all for engaging today.

I'm probably preaching to the converted here, so how we reach sceptics is a challenge.

We can do it by showing them the amazing things that come through collaboration.

I'd urge you all to keep up the good work & work together!

#NTiHoR

PS I'm cheating now - but wanted to thank all the volunteers involved one more time! Can't name them all, there are so many, and only a few on Twitter but -

Friends, you know who you are, and we're grateful!

#NTiHoR

PPS have *just* received the files from Craig, our excellent @RailwayMuseum volunteer coordinator, with the 1st stage of tidying of the next 8,000 cases our volunteers have been working on, for 1900-1910.

Perfect timing for this thread & a testament to #Collaboration!

#NTiHoR