Poppy’s summer placement: gaining hands-on experience in research

How did your placement come about and what was your role?

I found my placement through Student Futures, applying with my CV and a cover letter before going for an interview.

If you’re thinking about going on placement, use the support in place if you need it. A good thing to do is to set up a meeting with the placement and employability manager.

On placement I supported the research of two academics, Esther Muddiman and Agatha Herman, with their project ‘an alternative guide to Glamorgan Building’. It investigated how people who use our 112 year-old building feel about it and its historical connections.

My tasks included writing interview questions, conducting walking interviews with students and staff, qualitatively transcribing and analysing the interviews and creating an audio tour of the building using the collected data.

A typical day

While I didn’t have an everyday routine as tasks depended on the stage of the internship, most days I worked both on the Cathays campus, such as in the office that was provided for me, and at home.

On a less typical days, I’d visit the special collections and archives at the Arts and Social Studies (ASSL) library, or take a trip with my supervisors to the Glamorgan Archives in Leckwith.

The archives held records of the planning and building of Glamorgan Building in the early 1900s and the selling of Cathays Park just opposite.

In my later visit to the ASSL’s special collections and archives, I investigated the life and works of Alexander Harvey, who’s depicted in a portrait in Glamorgan’s Committee Room 1.

Esther, in their previous project about Glamorgan’s portraits, found those depicted (almost all white men) were not always connected to the University itself. Some used to be council members sitting in building before it became part of Cardiff University, for example.

However, I found that Harvey was a prominent figure in Cardiff University’s early stage of becoming a university and its previous status as a technical college, in the role of principal.

These experiences, as well as being an interesting way to spend my time, were integral in understanding the building.

What were your first impressions of your placement?

Here is an extract from my internship journal from weeks one and two:

"I began my research internship last week, which I was extremely excited about, but very nervous. I found myself quickly finding it challenging to read so much to familiarise myself with the topic, but I was able to play about with home-campus hybrid work."

"What kept me persevering was the interesting nature of the reading and the emails about interviews which kept me hopeful for the future of the internship. In fact, my reading this week took me into all different disciplines, such as geography and philosophy."

"What I have enjoyed about the placement so far is its flexibility. It has been challenging to be without a set structure but more and more I am beginning to appreciate it. There is something nice about handling my own time, being able to go home for lunch and choose my space."

The big wins

The biggest achievement of my internship had to be contributing to important research about equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the two Schools (and hopefully beyond). I got to connect with a wide range of people and ultimately produce an audio tour of Glamorgan Building. The audio tour helped to tell the stories of those who use the building. It was clear to me throughout that this work is incredibly important and I’m glad that I’ve been a part of it.

Thinking of the future

The placement has taught me what a research environment might be like, how to communicate with other people and engage with their stories and how to qualitatively analyse data.

I didn’t think that I would like to work independently but I loved it. Research is time-consuming but rewarding!

My advice about placements

I’d really recommend going for a placement. I felt like I was making a change and connections with people in my School, and I loved having my own space to follow my initiative as well as collaborating with others. It was super important for my personal growth.

I learned about lived experiences which I I’ve not had, realising that everyone’s journeys are different and complex. It’s really interesting to experience a research environment and gain very valuable skills and insights.

However, before going on a placement, I would ask yourself: will you have accommodation during the placement? Do you think you would be able to find what you are doing interesting for a period of time? At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you.

Remember it is also okay to slow down as I found I rushed my work at the beginning so I could get it all done. You don’t need to stress as much as long as you’re doing your set tasks and you’re happy with your work.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help! People are there for you for you to come to, before the application process and during the placement itself.

I hope this was interesting to read and helpful if you are considering an internship.