Anthropological Archives Database
This project developed out of the SAC’s acquisition of Dr. Michael Moerman’s anthropological fieldnotes in 2005. Written in the 1960s, the fieldnotes are a detailed, meticulously organized and holistic record of life in the Tai-Lue village where Moerman conducted field research. Recognizing the value of ethnographic fieldnotes as a multidimensional source of information about Thai society and culture, the SAC began the project of scanning the fieldnotes for inclusion in a searchable, online anthropological archive.
Since the launch of the project, the SAC has also acquired the fieldnotes of Dr. Jane and Lucien Hanks, who conducted research in central and northern Thailand between 1963 and 1979, as well as the collected research materials of Dr. Prasert Chaiphikusit, who served as the Director of the Hill Tribe Research Institute in Chiang Mai between 1997 and 1998. Dr. Prasert’s collection includes research materials as well as over 150 photographs of ethnic groups in the North. The archive also includes the slide collection of Professor Dr. Anan Ganjanapan, the doyen of Thai anthropology who conducted field research in the 1970s. These archives are a valuable source of data for researchers seeking to analyze transformations in Thai society and culture over time. For those researchers interested in viewing the original fieldnotes, these are housed on the 8th floor of the SAC.
The main purpose of the archive is to collect and conserve anthropological fieldwork materials, as well as to manage these archives so that they can be used as sources of information for the research and development of anthropological knowledge by a new generation of scholars. Since the launch of the database, the Anthropological Archives research team continues to enhance this resource and consider its function and accessibility. In 2009, the SAC collaborated with the University of Washington and the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University to create a Digital Archive of Research on Thailand (DART) consisting of a range of ethnographic, socio-economic and visual materials, including texts, photographs, maps and GIS-supported visualizations. This digital resource allows scholars and students at all levels of expertise in both Thailand and abroad to access original research texts and data, and link them to GIS visualizations, images, and supporting reference sources. In keeping with the SAC’s mandate to serve as a digital repository for anthropological materials, the SAC’s main role in the DART project was to actively expand the anthropological archive collection already housed in the Anthropological Archives. The SAC also planned and hosted the first international Anthropological Archives Conference in August 2009. This conference brought together anthropologists and archivists to discuss the content and value of anthropological archival materials. It also explored various methods for archiving materials and addressed issues of rights management, including intellectual property rights and copyright laws. For more information on the DART collaboration, please visit: http://dartproject.org/.
Currently, Anthropological Archives researchers are working on developing a digital content policy and cultural protocols in order to integrate the wishes and needs of source communities into the database structure. As a part of this process, the team consulted members of communities in Phayao province where Dr. Michael Moerman conducted his fieldwork. They brought relevant fieldwork documents to share with community members and engaged in discussion on ethnographic content and rights of access. Feedback and reflections gained from these meetings have proved invaluable as the team creates guidelines for the appropriate management and dissemination of information. The new policy is anticipated to be implemented in 2013.
Wiphavadee Kokhao
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
20 Baromaratchachonnani Rd, Taling Chan, Bangkok 10170
Tel +66 2 8809429 Ext 3822 fax +66 2 8809332
อีเมล์ wiphavadee.k@sac.or.th