The indexing of the archival records of the German Society for Educational Science (DGfE)

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Sabine Reh
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 284614173

This project will focus on the archival indexing of papers from the board of directors of the German Society for Educational Science (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft, DGfE). The DGfE was founded in 1963/1964 to promote scientific pedagogy and owing to its nationwide more than 3,000 members it is recognised as an influential academic society. The DGFE triggers educational scientific debates and shares responsibility for educational political decisions. Papers from the DGfE board of directors cover the period from 1963 to 2010, comprising roughly 54 running meters of 532 files as weil as 750 photos and posters. In 2010, the DGfE directors voted in favour of making the archival material of the society openly accessible and handed the material over to the archive of the Research Library for the History of Education (BBF) at the German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF).The BBF archive aims to make accessible to the (scientific) community the stock that is highly relevant for historical research but presently not generally available to researchers, following frequent requests. By indexing this unique stock of resources, the archive intends to prepare the ground for scientific work on the history of this science organisation that is so highly important forthe discipline of education, also in view of its contribution to educational political discourse. Already in 2004, the DGfE of its own accord initiated a first review of archival documents which led to a publication entitled Kleine Geschichte der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft. Eine Fachgesellschaft zwischen Wissenschaft und Politik [A briet history of the German Society for Educational Science. An academic society between science and po/itics]. In this project, a systematic indexing of the stock is envisaged as weil as an integration into the online system of indexed records in the online finding aid system operated by the BBF archive, and integration into the portal "Archivportal-D". Thereby, a broader (scientific) community will be granted an insight into the archived stock. A systematic indexation of the archival records can pay tribute to the DGfE's finding its own place. At the same time, given the central position in the field of educational science, this may contribute to an ascertainment of the entire discipline. Owing to this project, the DGfE - supported by the BBF archive - is the first academic society to render its records openly accessible for a research community.

• DFG Programme: Cataloguing and Digitisation (Scientific Library Services and Information Systems)
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Bettina Irina Reimers