Research
Global history hackathons
Hackathons originated in the domains of computer science, technology, and product design. Through the "Global history hackathons" project, begun in 2019 with support from the University of Glasgow’s Learning and Teaching Development Fund, a group of academics, heritage professionals, and students worked together to adapt the hackathon format for use in the social sciences.
We designed events that engaged small groups of students, academics, custodians, heritage professionals, and members of the public in "hacking" archives and museum collections.
Many of our hackathons were explicitly focused on global health, medicine, and wellbeing, including "Bugs, bullets, and brains" at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, "Animals and humans on display" in the Hunterian Museum, and "What we threw away: Scotland’s waste past and present” with the Centre for Business History in Scotland.
The main outcome of the project was the Global history hackathons playbook, an open-access digital resource, which has already inspired others to plan and host their own hackathon.
Staff involved
Hannah-Louise Clark
Sarah Gambell
Robert MacLean
Moira Rankin
Benjamin Thomas White
Jelmer Vos
Event blogs authored by students
- From textiles to tea: Global history hacking the James Finlay & Co Archives
- Bugs, bullets, and brains: Global history hacking the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
- Old things, urgent narratives: Global history hacking the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre
- Examining humans and animals in museum displays: Global history hacking the Hunterian Museum