I am a PhD student trying to get some feedback on a pilot study - I hoped that
someone out there might help me! I attach a copy of the first draft of my
survey (below), which I want to email to curators about objects related to
children and childhood in their collections. I would be most grateful if
someone would take the time to read it and suggest some feedback about how it
may be improved. Any further information if you require it can be obtained
from me at: [log in to unmask] Please could you also send any
feedback to this address.

Thanks in advance,
Sharon

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Instructions: When given a list of options (such as Yes/No), please indicate
your answer by deleting as appropriate (i.e. indicate a “yes” answer by
crossing out or deleting the “no” option).  When given a series of [ ] boxes,
please indicate your answer by ticking the box next to your chosen response.
Please indicate your responses in regard to your specialism (such as
archaeology or social history) only.

Name:___________________________________

Museum:_________________________________

1) Are you a curator or keeper of archaeology / social history / industrial
history / childhood / anthropological collections?

2) Does your institution (or department if in a museum with multiple subject
areas) hold any artefact(s) specifically related to or associated with the
activities of children in the past or present?  [Yes/No]
If yes, please indicate which of the following categories these items come
under (you may choose more than one):
a) Toys & games (manufactured)					[ ]
b) Toys & games (made by children/at home)			[ ]
c) Clothing & shoes							[ ]
d) Sports equipment							[ ]
e) Books								[ ]
f) Baby items								[ ]
g) School/education items 						[ ]
h) Punishment/discipline items					[ ]
i) Tools & work items							[ ]
j) Health/medical items						[ ]
k) Religious items							[ ]
l) Photographs								[ ]
m) Documents 							[ ]
n) Other domestic items						[ ]
o) Other (please specify)














3) Does your museum actively seek to gather items relating to children or
childhood as part of its collecting policy? [Yes/No/No policy]

4) Does your institution (or department if you work in a museum with multiple
subject areas) have any item(s) specifically related to or associated with the
activities of children in the past or present currently on display? [Yes/No]
If yes:
Is this display permanent? [Yes/No]
Please indicate into which of the above categories (by letter) the item(s)
falls:__________

5) Does your institution (or department if you work in a museum with multiple
subject areas) currently have an exhibition or section of any exhibition (e.g.
a display case, text panel or themed area) specifically related to children or
childhood? [Yes/No]

6) Do you consider the activities of children in the past (whether leisure,
domestic, educational or economic) to be (please tick one answer only):
A very important/significant part of the past 			[ ]
An important/significant part of the past 			[ ]
A fairly important/significant part of the past 		[ ]
An unimportant/insignificant part of the past 		[ ]
An irrelevant or inaccessible part of the past 			[ ]
Undecided/Do not know 					[ ]
Please explain your answer:














7) Do you consider the activities of children in the past to be (please tick
one answer only):
Very relevant to the material your museum exhibits 		[ ]
Relevant to the material your museum exhibits 		[ ]
Fairly relevant to the material your museum exhibits 	[ ]
Irrelevant to the material your museum exhibits 		[ ]
Very irrelevant to the material your museum exhibits 	[ ]
Undecided/Do not know					[ ]
Please explain your answer:














8) Would you consider a display about the activities of children in relation
to the material/subject matter in your museum displays to be (please tick one
answer):
Very interesting to visitors					[ ]
Interesting to visitors						[ ]
Fairly interesting to visitors					[ ]
Uninteresting to visitors					[ ]
Very uninteresting to visitors					[ ]
Impossible to mount, given your collections			[ ]
Undecided/Do not know					[ ]
Please explain your answer:














9) The display of material relating to children in the past has usually been
conducted by only those curators working with social history and specific
childhood collections In your opinion, could displays about children or
childhood in the past be practically mounted by museums of:
Archaeology?  [Yes/No/Some/Undecided]
Work and industrial history? [Yes/No/Some/Undecided]
Anthropology and ethnography? [Yes/No/Some/Undecided]

10) In your opinion, do you think the small number of displays/exhibitions
about children in museums other than social history institutions is due to
(please select as many as appropriate):
Lack of interest by the public							[ ]
Lack of relevant collections by the museums					[ ]
Lack of information by the museums						[ ]
It is considered children in the past are generally not accessible		[ ]
It is considered children in the present are not accessible 			[ ]
It is considered not appropriate for archaeology museums			[ ]
It is considered not appropriate for anthropology museums			[ ]
It is considered not appropriate for industrial history museums		[ ]
Lack of space/finance/other resources					[ ]
It is not generally considered as a topic in itself				[ ]
It is not considered to be a significant part of the past			[ ]
Museums have more important thing to display				[ ]
There are other “minority groups” whose needs must be considered first	[ ]
Other (please specify):








11) Thank you for completing this survey – your time in responding to the
questions is very much appreciated.  If you have any further points or
comments to make about the subject of exhibiting children and childhood in the
past in museums, please leave them here:

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