New report into BPS archives and History of Psychology Centre published
The BPS has published a new report into the BPS archives, with several recommendations made to ensure they are relevant, refreshed and useful to all who wish to use them.
03 February 2023
The report found that the BPS owns a rich archive that provides a detailed and unique narrative of the history of psychology in the UK over the last century, which are valued by members and non-members alike.
A number of recommendations were made, many which are already being implemented, to make the archives more accessible and engaging.
The report's recommendations will enable knowledge creation and research on the history of psychology and its legacy in the present day. This has begun with an Arts, Humanities and Research Council funded PhD, researching the history of marginalised groups in UK psychology using the BPS archives as the primary resource. This will begin in October 2023 in collaboration with the History and Psychology Departments at Leicester University.
One of the recommendations was regarding the governance of the History of Psychology Centre, and to improve HOPC's effectiveness and to draw from a wide range of diverse voices. We will soon be recruiting for a new HOPC Advisory Group.
A separate call for statements of interest for the group will be shared later this year.
Debra Malpass, BPS Director of Knowledge and Insight, said:
"We are proud of the archives and the HOPC and we look forward to developing work in this important area.
We have already started to implement the recommendations from this report, including a new archive repository which has been installed in the BPS Leicester Office.
This will consolidate the collection, improve accessibility and ensure the materials preservation.
We look forward to working closely with our members to implement the further recommendations and ensuring the archives serve a purpose for all."