Significant progress has been made on the project in the past month. The two project officers, Lynelle and Dan, have carried out research to determine the whereabouts of hard copy and digital archives, books, museum objects and other content relating to the First World War, and on the way that the subject is taught in schools, higher education and further education. Two online surveys have been sent to relevant individuals, institutions and to professional mailing lists, and nearly 200 replies have been received to date.
The surveys covered the thematic breakdown of collections, the availability of digital content, its IPR status and accessibility to the wider research and teaching community, as well as broader research themes and trends. Analysis of the feedback is ongoing, together with follow-up telephone interviews with academics and information professionals.
Several lengthy expert focus groups have also been held to gather feedback on other World War commemoration projects and events, trends in teaching, pedagogy, current use of existing aggregation services and online search strategies.
The surveys, focus groups and academic steering panel all point to the need to broaden the availability of First World War digital content to support teaching and research on the war as global history; underpin comparative studies with sources, including translated sources, from other combatant nations including France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand; to reinterate the importance of naval history in the story of the war; and to investigate the often neglected role of colonial servicemen in the conflict. Memorialisation and understanding the ever-changing perspectives of the war also emerged as a key theme.
Work is to begin on a database and website to provide public access to the findings.
