Sillitoe, Paul
(2011)
INSTRUMENTS OF POWER Developing and Applying Diplomatic Analysis to Enhance Archival Interpretation and Research Uses of Technical Drawings.
[Staff Thesis]
(Unpublished)
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200471088_Jun2011 - Thesis.pdf - Author Accepted Manuscript Download (4MB) | Preview |
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200471088_Jun2011 - Appendices A-C.pdf - Supporting information Download (4MB) | Preview |
Abstract
This study presents a solution to the difficulties of making historical technical drawings available for research. In archives services, such hard-copy drawings are frequently found to be much less manageable than other forms of archival record. Technical drawings can be very complicated intellectually, while also being large and awkward to handle. Archival effort might thus be directed towards making less difficult forms of record available for research. These problems, which impede access to research resources, have not been attended to in the literature. A new way of understanding technical drawings has been created through an innovative development of diplomatic analysis. Traditionally used for historical text analysis, diplomatic has not been applied previously to graphical records such as technical drawings. With this theoretical lens, and statistical techniques, the research design followed the principles of mixed methods methodology. The core of the study comprised a detailed quantitative survey and analysis of a statistical sample of C20th technical drawings. Language was found to be the key to their better understanding. A model was developed to translate the language of technical drawing concepts and characteristics into archival terms. The survey’s statistically robust and replicable results identified concepts and characteristics that were generic, or nearly so. When interpreted and described, those ubiquitous elements will provide a means to enhance understanding of technical drawings held as archives. The research results therefore provide a sound basis for drafting practical guidance for interpreting and processing such technical drawings. That guidance will help to make technical drawings more accessible to researchers. Diplomatic theory has been extended by this research. The utility of diplomatic’s application to graphical records has been demonstrated. So, too, has diplomatic’s extension to records capable of being reprographically reproduced. Unexpectedly, questions have arisen for technical drawings’ certification and authorisation in their original contexts of use. The robust research design and methodology that has been developed is capable of generalisation in future research.
| Item Type: | Staff Thesis |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Diplomatic analysis, technical drawings, engineering drawings, mixed methods, quantitative survey, sampling |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Histories, Languages and Cultures |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Jan 2023 10:50 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Feb 2023 16:51 |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3167846 |
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