Students read archival case files dating from 1812 to 1924 and structure these archival narratives into a database of habeas corpus petitions filed by incarcerated people as well as marginalized people challenging enslavement, reservation confinement, child removal, coercive institutionalization, and deportation. Training is provided to all incoming researchers and work is completed in a collaborative lab environment in the Center for the Digital Research in the Humanities at Love Library. Students choose particular themes to focus on in their individual research projects and receive academic mentoring to pursue their areas of interest. In addition to technical training in digital research tools and analysis, students receive training and mentoring in legal history and law and society research methods. Our team also meets virtually with scholars working in the field of Law & Science and the summer cohort works in tandem with the National Science Foundation Digital Legal Research Lab Research Experience for Undergraduates.
Faculty Advisor Mentoring Philosophy
Our collaborative team is based on shared inquiry, analysis, and personal and professional development. After intensive training in digital legal research methods and analysis, we meet bi-monthly to discuss the historical and legal questions raised in the historic case documents we are working with and to consider how a diverse legal dataset challenges and confounds our digital data structures. Our team has included scholars from Architecture, Criminal Justice, English, History, Political Science, and Sociology who aspire to a broad range of careers in Social Justice, Law, Library Science, Political Science, and History. Dr. Jagodinsky is a first-generation scholar from a low-income background, and she meets with each student individually to determine their goals and needs as we work collectively toward setting and meeting personal and professional goals throughout the course of the research experience.
Faculty Advisor | Katrina Jagodinsky | |
Contact E-Mail | kjagodinsky@unl.edu | |
Department | History – College of Arts and Sciences | |
Potential UCARE Research Position? | Yes | |
UCARE Terms | Both next summer (2024) and next academic year (2024-2025) | |
Paid or Volunteer Experience? | Paid by UCARE Funding | |
Hours per Week | Up to 10 in spring and fall; up to 20 in summer | |
Acceptable Undergraduate Majors | Social Sciences & Humanities, Pre-Law |