Hi:
I am an Ed.D student at the University of North Georgia, and I am writing to invite you to participate in my research study:
Title of the Study: Credentialism in Higher Education: A Study of Archival Careers
Study Number: 2026-031
Principal Investigator: Allison Galloup, Higher Education Leadership and Practice
Faculty Advisor: Michael Lanford, michael.lanford@ung.edu
The purpose of this study is to investigate the social and cultural implications of the increase in number of archivists who enter the field through library and information science programs. Participants considered for this study are archivists currently employed at a higher education institution who hold a terminal degree (MLS/MLIS or MA, or a combination of these degrees).
The research will be conducted in two parts:
- Brief responses (no more than 500 words) to two questions related to your archival education and career as an academic archivist.
- A 60-75 minute interview during which you will be asked about your training and preparation for becoming an archivist, your experiences as an archivist, and your relationships with other archivists and librarians.
For the interview, I will ask for your permission to record and transcribe the conversation for the purposes of data analysis. Your initial written responses will also be included in data analysis.
Confidentiality will be maintained throughout the process. The interviews, transcripts, and written responses will be de-identified. During the data analysis process, you will be given the opportunity to review, edit, and offer clarification of the transcripts of your interview.
Participation in this study is voluntary. You may request to leave the study and have any data relating to your participation deleted at any time. The risks involved are no greater than those you would encounter in daily activities. There is no compensation for participating in the study. However, you may find contributing to the larger conversation around graduate archival education fulfilling.
If you are interested in participating, please visit Credentialism in Higher Education: A Case Study of Archival Careers.
For questions about this study, you can call or email the principal investigator, Allison Galloup, at 678-717-3656 or allison.galloup@ung.edu or the faculty advisor, Michael Lanford, at michael.lanford@ung.edu.
For questions about being a research participant, please contact the chair of the Institutional Review Board (irbchair@ung.edu) or the Research Integrity Officer (research-integrity@ung.edu).
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Allison Galloup, MLIS, CA
Doctoral Candidate | Higher Education Leadership and Practice
Head of Special Collections & Archives
University of North Georgia
Gainesville GA
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