Research Routes

About the series

As an Independent Research Organisation, research is at the heart of what we do at The National Archives. Whether we are developing technology to preserve and present the digital record, or marking forgotten voices through our engagement programmes, research underpins every part of our work. 

First launched in 2024, our 2026/27 annual event series, Research Routes, encourages you to engage with our collections in new and innovative ways. We hope you will explore the possibilities for research with our records, and consider methodologies and practices that reach beyond traditional practice and outputs.

2026/27 Programme

More than repositories of history, archives are spaces where encounters unfold and experiences take shape. Where histories are re-visited, communities connected, and new interpretations of the past take shape through research and practice.

Throughout 2026/27 Research Routes brings together researchers, practitioners and creatives to explore different encounters and experiences with and within the archives.

This series of online talks and in-person events will explore how archival encounters shape identity, community, and memory. It will also act as a facilitative space within which you – our audience – can experience archives through creative and participatory forms of engagement. Together, we will explore how encounters with archives connect us to histories, to one another, and to ourselves

Records of human experience: The value & vulnerability of refugee and migration archives

Date and time

16 September 2026, 12:00 – 13:15 BST

Speakers

Professor Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor of Law, University of New South Wales

Professor Maja Janmyr, Professor of International Migration Law, University of Oslo

Dr Sara Cosemans, Postdoctoral Researcher, KU Leuven

Heather Faulkner, Archivist at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Archives

Paul Dudman, Archivist at University of East London and Co-I of Living Refugee Archive project

Charlotte Clare, PhD student at The National Archives and Keele University

Location

Online

Explore how refugee and naturalisation archives preserve stories of migration, resilience, and identity, while facing challenges of care and preservation.

Through presentations and panel discussion, we will consider how archives can support research, public engagement, and community memory while navigating the sensitivities that often accompany histories of human experience. This reflects the role archives play in shaping our understanding of migration, humanitarian action, and lived experience across time.

Creative Encounters: Queer Archives and Zine Making (a workshop)

Date and time

14 October 2026, 13:00 – 14:00 BST

Speakers

Jen Scott, multidisciplinary artist, zine maker, drag performer and queer heritage researcher.

Vicky Iglikowski-Broad, Diverse Histories Records Specialist

Location

The National Archives

Join us for a half-day workshop led by specialist facilitator Jen Scott and Diverse Histories Records Specialist Vicky Iglikowski-Broad. In this workshop, participants will undertake queer approaches to searching the archive and create their own zines inspired by the diverse array of stories, voices and experiences they uncover.

This event offers participants the opportunity to explore a specially curated selection of archival materials relating to queer histories. Attendees will be introduced to archival research methods, including how to navigate catalogues, search for relevant records and uncover LGBTQIA+ experiences beyond the perspective of the state.

How to apply

To apply for this workshop please use the Eventbrite link below, click 'Register your interest’ and input the relevant information.

You will then be asked to answer the following question:

Please can you tell us why you are interested in taking part in this zine-making workshop at The National Archives? We are particularly keen to hear from those who may be able to apply these practices in their own work. (max 300 words)

Please note registering for this event enters you into the application process only.

Deadline

Wednesday 30 September, 09:00 BST

Encountering Automation in the Archive: From Séances to AI Transcription

Date and time

Wednesday 11 November, 13:00 GMT

Speakers

Dr Joe Nockels, University of Glasgow

Mark Bell, The National Archives

Location

Online

What do séances and AI transcription have in common? Explore the surprising history of automation in the archive through two complimentary research projects.

Join us to learn about the role of technology in understanding Spiritualists who believed they could commune with the dead, and wills which tell us what people have left behind after life.

Dr Joe Nockels will introduce his recent work with the National Library of Scotland to explore how AI-enabled transcription can work with user-focused developmental principles to help non-technical users understand how the models work. This specific project has focused on samples of The Spiritualist Newspaper (1869 – 1882), something Nockels sees as a fitting example as mediums claimed spirits produced automatic writing during séances and today the AI transcriptions that appear during his work seems equally mysterious.

Mark Bell (The National Archives) will then discuss his work on The Material Culture of Wills project which has been relying on Transkribus to automatically transcribe wills from the 16th, 17th and 18th century.

Both speakers will offer practical tips for those looking to transcribe their own collections, as well as insights into the way computer-generated transcriptions can influence the way we understand the past.