Speakers

Image of LEAP 2024: Knee Deep in Papers: Social Science Research Compilation & Dispersion - Abstracts

LEAP 2024: Knee Deep in Papers: Social Science Research Compilation & Dispersion - Abstracts

Panel 41: Knee Deep in Papers: Social Science Research Compilation & Dispersion

In an unexpected turn of events, the most unifying aspect of all our summer experiences had been being buried six feet under papers. From research projects that had us translating works across 3 languages to gagging on the dusty air coming off of the pages of a book from 100 years ago, all four of us were conducting research that was not at all like what Indiana Jones did. Unfortunately. That would have been exciting. Like Sisyphus, we were pushing a rock up a mountain. Unlike Sisyphus, our rock was the metaphorical (and sometimes literal) weight of books. We traveled across continents, time periods, and disciplines to find answers to questions we didn’t even know we’d have to ask. And yet somehow, we all kind of loved it.

Moderator: Matthew Watson, Chair of Sociology and Anthropology
Associate Professor of Anthropology

Massachusetts Historical Society Library and Research Summer Internship
Maggie Herman ’26, History and Politics double major, Museums Archives and Public History Nexus

A Journey of Working on Projects in Different Scales and Disciplines
Serafina Wang ’26, Environmental Studies and Computer Science double major

Independent Research Project: Looking at the Beginnings of International Legal Theory
Hailee Pitshke ’25, Politics major, Anthropology minor

Outreach and Observation in the Law Library
Zoe Merritt ’26, English and Anthropology double major

Speaker name: Maggie Herman
Title: Massachusetts Historical Society Library and Research Summer Internship
I spent the past summer at the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, MA, as an intern between the research and library departments. In the research department, I assisted with setting up for the Citizenship Conference in mid-July, updated a list of honorary fellows with their emails, and looked through the bibliographies of research fellows’ published books to make a list of what materials they used from MHS. In the library department, I started a subject guide on social clubs in Boston using materials at the MHS, cleaned the stacks with a library assistant, scanned microfilm of a collection for a researcher, and worked on inputting imaging data into a spreadsheet to keep track of which collections and materials have had images taken of them to be used by researchers.

Speaker name: Serafina Wang
Title: A Journey of Working on Projects in Different Scales and Disciplines
“This summer I had a remote internship with the Advance Group based in New York City. I got the opportunity to work with several projects related to clients of the firm in terms of nonprofits and labor unions ranging from issues such as Arts, Social Sciences, and Environment. My major tasks included conducting background research online to find potential donors for fundraising purposes and reporters for outreach for the organization and compiling the information I found into documents and spreadsheets.”

“Entered as a newbie to the field, I was horned by projects in different scales and disciplines, and I came out with much more confidence in conducting research independently and finding useful information effectively.”

Speaker name: Hailee Pitschke
Title: Independent Research Project: Looking at the Beginnings of International Legal Theory
I did research tracing the origins of international legal theory, paying special attention to the evolution of peremptory norms. I conducted an array of interviews with prominent academics in the field from institutions such as UC Berkeley and the University of Amsterdam’s Law School. Interviews were conducted both virtually and in-person. The Hague in the Netherlands is considered a home for international law, with both the International Criminal Court and the Peace Palace (which houses the International Court of Justice) being located there. As such, I traveled to The Hague in order to meet with interviewees, tour museums, and conduct research. I read through influential philosophical documents, international legal opinions, and papers from the UN.

Speaker name: Zoe Merritt
Title: Outreach and Observation in the Law Library
This past summer, I interned at the Judge Lee E. Haworth Law Library and Self-Help Center in Sarasota, Florida. I worked on the early development teams for two initiatives as part of the library’s expanded community outreach: SkylawSRQ and Legal Navigator. The former is a website designed to provide short-term representation at a reduced cost, and the latter is a collaboration with Legal Aid of Manasota to assist petitioners in injunctions of protection for domestic violence. This work was centered around targeting specific gaps in the services already provided, focusing on individuals representing themselves. During the research and writing process for these projects, I used my observations of injunction court proceedings to ground advice in real experiences and situations that would occur. During this internship, I saw how this often-overlooked office is an incredibly valuable pillar for members of my community who cannot afford expensive legal assistance or representation.