University of Glasgow

user generated content in a punk community archive

I am pursuing a Masters degree in Information Management and Preservation at the University of Glasgow.

I am working on my dissertation - exploring these areas:

Punk ephemera (era 70s - 80s) in digital archives. Is there an academic or public interest in the period and will there be future interest in the period?

I want to identify whether collectors, fans and musicians involved in the early scenes are interested in digital preservation and representation of this genre. I want to take a look at user generation of metadata and user contribution from personal collections. I am interested in developing a community web project which will allow users to contribute and tag their objects and add additional information to other items, if they possess personal knowledge of these items. I am also looking at linking between objects.

If you have any questions about this I am available to speak on the phone, or by email.

I realize your time is very valuable but I feel it is important to document the period and the people involved and your input provides an opportunity for me to put this forth in a structured academic approach.

My own interest stems from my 30+ years in the scene and my own involvement with bands not only from the West Coast US, but world wide.

Please feel free to pass this on to other colleagues of yours who have a history in the scene as well, I would like as much feedback as possible.