{"id":240,"date":"2018-05-10T10:11:26","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T09:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/calstudentresearch\/?p=240"},"modified":"2018-08-17T09:11:22","modified_gmt":"2018-08-17T08:11:22","slug":"writers-and-their-libraries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.bham.ac.uk\/calstudentresearch\/2018\/05\/10\/writers-and-their-libraries\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Writers and Their Libraries’ and My Research Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ellie
Ellie Rowe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Between my second and final year of University, I took part in the CAL UG Research Scholarship scheme. I worked with Dr Hugh Adlington<\/a> on his project \u2018Writers and their Libraries’. The aim of the project was to create an online database (a portal if you will), of famous writers and books they were known to have in their personal libraries, and where to find this information online. The project involved me visiting various archives and museums and assisting Hugh’s research for his book on John Donne. The project taught me what it meant to be part of a large research project, which was invaluable as I started to work on my own dissertation. The outlined project of \u2018Writers and their Libraries\u2019 was something that I found incredibly interesting and felt comfortable to research. However, as the scholarship developed, and I was introduced to Hugh\u2019s research, I was initially worried about my ability to research for the book, given that I had only read three of Donne\u2019s poems. Hugh was very supportive, despite my inability to read Latin. I soon came to realise that even if a topic isn\u2019t within your speciality or time period, the skills required to undertake good quality research are independent of these factors. I have found this to be true during my Masters, as I chose to study a module which took me, once again, outside of my comfort zone. Despite this, or maybe because of it, it has been some of the most rewarding research that I have undertaken. Furthermore, the skills that I developed during the UGRS have even transcended my academic work, I have found myself using them within the workplace to perform research for my employer.<\/p>\n

I was also lucky enough to be offered a research job off the back of the project about a year later from Hugh. Having both experiences on my CV did not just help me in applying for my Masters, but also in applying for jobs in Higher Education professional services. The transferable skills that you develop in research; communication, organisation, problem solving, are immensely valuable in any job, even if you don’t go onto further academia. The project is one of my fondest memories from UoB, and one of my proudest achievements.<\/p>\n

Ellen Rowe,\u00a0BA English Literature and History, MA Literature and Culture\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Find out more about Ellie’s experiences, and those of other former scholars from across the College, in our video:<\/em><\/p>\n