Dissertation Diaries Ep 1 | Yale History PhD Student in the National Archives in London

[@TonysBoardLife]

Thanks for creating this series. I am currently taking my Master in Education in Teaching History. My program is heavily based on history, which is great, but I haven't done serious history research in decades. I was happy to find your channel.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

I am so glad you found my videos! And thank you for this comment

[@laurengarguilo]

I would love an overview of how you set up your databases (if you haven't made one already)! I really struggle with figuring out what is important to note about a source for future reference, so even just a quick run-through of what data you enter would be super helpful for me!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

I will, at some point, make a full video on how I build and develop my databases for qualitative research :)

[@fletcheranaclara]

obssessed with this series already!!!! it's so fun seeing this as an undergraduate who's struggling through academia even though i'm so passionate about it. the way you manage to approach topics in so many different forms (for example, the way you explain to us on vlogs versus the way you present to your advisors versus the way you write) is soooo inspiring!! i struggle a lot to express my knowledge and interests through formal ways in academia (i.e essays or tests) and to know that i can engage with the knowledge and content that i enjoy in a different form (be it a vlog, be it a podcast or something) gives me hope that i can carve my own space ♡

[@KaelynGraceApple]

I am certain you will, with time, find the system that works best for you! It took me years to get to this point and I am still learning new things each day

[@heraddledbrain]

I really appreciate your vulnerability Kaelyn! A lot of times, I don't feel like a "real" whatever (historian/professional/etc) because I feel like such a newbie in the field of history (and I am!). It's helpful to know, though, that it isn't because I'm newer or I'm not capable. Even an Oxford/Yale student feels intimidated by this work! Being entrusted with the work of a historian and telling people's stories is such an honor and I'm starting to suspect that having a healthy respect and humility for the work is actually to its benefit, not detriment. It's really cool to see your process and I appreciate you sharing!

[@collegebookworm]

A video on how you create a qualitative database would be so helpful and fun to see! Love the video 💜 london looks beautiful 💗

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Great suggestion! Thank you!

[@undomiel86]

When i was writing my doctoral dissertation( in Law) i was thinking like it is only me who is struggling and i found it extremely difficult to sit and read all of the literature and think it through.. I felt like every other phds are smarter than me.. at the beginning it was like a weak muscle and i wanted to cry each time i struggled.. i was also a teaching assistant and doing tons of administrative stuff in the faculty at the same time so it was so hard to focus on thesis after work. Especially if you are in social sciences or humanities, you are doing everything on your own, you don’t have a lab, you don’t have friends to work on the same project.. i feel you and i want to tell you, it will be over someday and you will obtain that degree, never forgetting that days you’ve worked hard. I am proud of you and everyone who puts this effort on their work 😊

[@katherineelisabeth4387]

I was in the National Archives myself earlier this month for my masters dissertation at the University of Edinburgh and I found it soooo overwhelming and intimidating! I’m so glad I’m not alone in that feeling 😅

[@cjram]

Excited for this series!! 😀

[@KaelynGraceApple]

[@GenXBeauty]

Kaelyn! I love this series already! I would love to see more content on your qualitative databases, as I will be building qualitative databases as part of my dissertation. It's nice to see ideas about how to approach such things. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

More to come!

[@PevarAvel]

Already in love with this serie!! As a PhD candidate in STEM, I am very curious to see more deeply about the research methods in humanities. It feels really remote from what I know so it also makes me really curious about it. And makes me want to start a recording like that, altough it is a bit late for it as I enter my 4th year already 😂 Can’t wait for the next one, thanks for your amazing content!!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Thank you! It is never too late if you want to start creating and sharing!

[@alexandracarr5503]

Really looking forward to the next episode of this series! I am also a 2nd year PhD student in the UK - its so nice to feel like I'm on a journey with other people. I empathise so much with how uncomfortable the process can be, especially after getting the green light on a prospectus - no amount of planning and prep seems to prepare you for the big open space between the first stages and the finish line, there's so much certainty and uncertainty rushing around a humanities research project.

[@argophontes]

I'm really looking forward to this series, as I'm heading to the UK next summer to go to the archives for my Master's thesis. Your being in the UK and going through the particular archival processes there would be super helpful!

[@diannabradley5683]

"Helloo!! I'm a full-time Archivist, working on my Ph.D. as we go (is it really "part-time"?). I know this is an old upload but I just found you and had some thoughts in case you or someone else comes along. 1. I LOVE that you explained why you're not using gloves!! THANK YOU for fighting Hollywood's misinformation lol!! 2. Most of my job is actually describing materials with difficult scripts for our digital databases and general metadata. It REALLY helps (if you have the time) to look over the script and use a notebook next to you to copy the script - you don't even have to have a pencil, just mimic the forms of the letters as if you were writing them. This gives you a literal feel for the letters and can help you with transcription. I have some work I've had to go letter by letter in order to figure out the words. Wishing you all the luck in the archives and I hope you are able to avoid the old-school gatekeepers and feel welcomed and wanted in these spaces - Because YOU ARE! I'm a first-generation college student on my mom's side so I truly think what you're doing with your channel is SO important and helpful!

[@camilaseixasesousa5805]

The overwhelming feeling you described when opening the manuscript was exactly my experience when I was in front of the 14th century MS. I have to study for my PhD thesis. Thank you for sharing this! 💕

[@Mariadelabahia]

Oooh this is great! Really looking forward to learning more about your research in detail! Love hearing about the conceptual issues and themes!

[@gabrielamartinez5378]

Already love this series and it's barely Episode 1! I am starting my third year in my DBA program and love seeing how your journey is going to hopefully prepare me for mine in the upcoming future!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Yay!!! I have so many videos I am looking forward to creating for this series

[@erikaskrika]

I truly appreciate your transparency with this process. I relate so much to being intimidated and avoidant towards certain types of work needed for the dissertation!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

[@e4mi]

9:00 Digital History! I love to see the field growing to be data analysis, networking, mapping, etc. I always tell people that don't know what DH is that I straddle the two worlds of tech and "traditional" history haha

[@KaelynGraceApple]

yes!!!

[@thecommunicationschic3373]

You are the only person I have found that shares the process! I enjoy your content, I think I would love to see Black PhD creators who maybe non traditional students like myself…. Can’t find any BUT super thankful to see your content it’s very helpful for me to get some essence of what to expect!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

I highly recommend www.youtube.com/@Scholasticbabe !

[@peerreviewed]

This was so interesting and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the series! I’m a history-adjacent phd student and I’ve got my first every trip to the archives booked in for next week. I would definitely love more content about your note taking practice when it comes to physical primary sources, as well as any advice you can offer on just reading the documents themselves. I’m focused on the 18th century rather than the 17th, but the loopy handwriting problems definitely resonate!

[@fdoctor79]

What a fascinating study, Kaelyn! Congrats on successfully defending your proposal.🎉 I am defending my proposal this Wednesday so I am glad to have found your channel and look forward to following your journey.

[@maggiearden]

I have such imposter syndrome in archives or research libraries. This is so helpful and encouraging as I'm working through a massive personal research project, and heading back to school this fall!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

8:12 Nice to see you meeting the subscribers! Such fun!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Yes! I love getting to meet new people!

[@KatherineWeiss]

Ok this is giving me the motivation and inspiration I need to finally post my Australia vlog!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Omg I can't wait to watch it!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Nice to see you back in the National Archives in London.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

It's nice to be back!

[@christinaobo]

Ohh so excited for this video as an incoming history student!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Yay! and Congrats!

[@1zste]

I feel the very same tiredness and frustration while doing archive research... I study the 19th century and their writing is so frustrating. Thank you so much for the vlogs, they are very inspiring ♥

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Thank you

[@erikaskrika]

As a PhD candidate myself I am already loving this series!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

I am so glad!

[@elizabethmoore7601]

Re:multiple entries for an individual. What about assigning a sequential number to each individual then you can have multiple line entries for individuals for each life event (birth, baptism, death, marriage) but the number of individuals would be your highest used sequential number so you don’t have an inflated number of individuals from line entries.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Thank you for the recommendation

[@forksnoken5520]

This is wonderful! I am loving the series already! I would love some more content on working with databases for qualitative analysis! Also, I would love to see a video on you reflecting on being a white scholar in african american studies.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Thank you so much for the comment and recommendations/encouragement! This is something I hope will be covered throughout the series as the project develops

[@MissMeganM707]

Every time I hear you talk about your dissertation, I feel very inadequate in my use of language 😂 I always feel so stupid, but that’s a good thing because it gives me something to look forward to when I am at your level in my education. I’m currently working on research for my honors thesis for my undergraduate, but I intend to continue on to a master’s in literature,which is why I’m doing the thesis. A lot of your videos have really helped me with navigating the later years of my undergraduate and have helped me plan and prepare for getting a master’s. Thank you so much for sharing them. ❤

[@KaelynGraceApple]

I feel like I have no idea what I am talking about so thank you for your reassurance and I am so glad the videos have been helpful to you!!!

[@MissMeganM707]

@@KaelynGraceApple I’m sure that old friend Imposter Syndrome keeps coming back every now and again. Ignore them; you’re brilliant, and although you may not have everything figured out just yet (Dissertation or otherwise), rest assured - You’ve got this ❤️

[@erikaskrika]

I love the idea of using a database, I too love to be very methodical and systematic in my research (sometimes to my detriment because I spend more time setting up the systems than actually analyzing) 😅

[@KaelynGraceApple]

[@knw-seeker6836]

Thanks for the inspirational videos Could you give any advice on remembering and sort of memorizing information for exams like Psychology, history etc?

[@JoaoPedroRibeiro-wl2hi]

I would love to see how you build your thoughts about the documents your're working with. How a historian approaches these really old pieces of paper and by using some techniques you become able to see the history in them. I'm not sure if I expressed this correctly, but that's it.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Yes! That is what I hope this whole series will incorporate!

[@lottie1693]

I’m currently building my database for my Honours research, this was a very useful helpful, would love a full video on database creation, esp for qual methods, haven’t been able to find many resources online (if you have any that might be useful before that video is ready, I’d love to see them). I’m researching resistance to gendered institutional change, specifically in Australian politics, so I’m collecting examples of basically any scandal in a certain political party relating to women & gender to analyse why no change was enacted until our recent (and very much belated compared to Europe) political MeToo moment. Since our politicians are very anti-women here, there’s a lot of scandals 😅

[@KaelynGraceApple]

This video is in the pipeline :) And your research sounds fascinating and timely!

[@lottie1693]

@@KaelynGraceApple looking forward to it. Only downside is the literature is still quite recent, so I don’t have a lot to work with, but can link work from other fields. Not sure how up to date you are on AusPol, but things got yikes in 2021, but there was decades of “red flags” beforehand (please don’t look into it if MeToo-type of content is distressing to you).

[@kathrynbyoutube]

I'm a software engineer and I'm looking forward to seeing a whole different side of databases than what I'm used to!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

More on this soon!!!

[@SethinBerlin]

I just found your channel and I love it. I'm finishing upmy masters in global history here in Berlin and want to pursue a PhD.Did you go to law school before this? What made yougo into legal history?

[@TeklaFrancis]

Is the Excel sheet going to be moved to a SQL database? Something that can be queried? You're close with a secondary identifier, but a basic person ID in another table within the database would be more efficient. I have a masters in Data Analytics and just finished a BA in history. I'm dabbling in making a few history-based databases myself, so I find databases as a doctoral dissertation fascinating.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

At some point yes!

[@nicolinasurel]

I would love to see some qualitative coding analysis if you're making a database for that.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

I am!!

[@DA-te5be]

Have you throught about working from database software like PowerBi or SPSS (maybe Notion) to help identify relationships across the different entries? That might solve the issue for the same people as multiple entries....

[@KaelynGraceApple]

I actually use atlas.ti + excel but my process/method is focused on self-entry so I am enjoying figuring out the process by hand :)

[@PokhrajRoy.]

13:23 Hello to London Boy.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

:)

[@PokhrajRoy.]

23:56 I’d be a visibly bothered Queen if I was handling that document.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

😅

[@kbird6208]

Part of me wishes I had vlogs of my dissertation process, but the rest of me knows that it would be 80% me sitting at home, staring at my computer, and cursing at Matlab...no one needs to see that 😅

[@KaelynGraceApple]

That will definitely be me in the final stages lol all the travel and excitement is happening now but the rest of it is just going to be me writing at my desk

[@brittanyhayes1043]

How long does the dissertation have to be?

[@KaelynGraceApple]

The standard in my department is about 250+ pages

[@PokhrajRoy.]

9:28 Coffee Shot

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Your fav

[@jackseney7906]

You showed no sense of intimidation at all in the archives you just looked intensely focused 👍

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Thank you

[@lr2ldn]

Hey Kaelyn! Your instagram and tik tok links don't work.

[@KaelynGraceApple]

Oh thanks for the reminder! I switched my handle!

[@Booky42]

Working on my PhD in Assyriology. I havent found a satisfying database method because many of my sources are ancient clay tablets, and putting Akkadian writing into a computer is a nightmare. 🥲

[@TeklaFrancis]

I've been dabbling with the idea of documenting Linear A and Etruscan, documenting examples, sources and how words/symbols are used in relation to others. I know that Cuneiform is unicode 'compatible', you can google 'Cuneiform (Unicode block)' to get the list from Wikipedia. From there a database could be made. Maybe I need to add Akkadian tablets to my database list. What is your dissertation on? I just finished my history BA and would love to dive more into Mesopotamian history.