Research Associate for archival integration

Göteborgs universitet; Göteborgs kommun; On-site; SEK 320,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Göteborgs universitet seeks an interim research assistant to consolidate archival materials from socially engaged art projects, standardise metadata, and structure a unified dataset for analysis. You will work on WP2, review existing materials, fill gaps, and ensure consistent documentation according to the project’s schema.

The role supports publishing related academic work and collaborating with a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Experience with archiving and documenting art-related materials.
• Ability to standardise metadata and documentation.
• Familiarity with institutional archives.
• Multilingual abilities desirable.

Responsibilities

• Review and consolidate existing materials: Assess and integrate archival materials collected by team members, identify gaps and overlaps.
• Complete and standardise data documentation: Fill in missing information and ensure a unified metadata schema is followed.
• Structure the dataset for analysis: Organise materials into a coherent, well‑structured dataset with clear documentation.

Skills

Archival materials experience

Data documentation

Multilingual ability

Independent work

Organisational skills

Education

Advanced degree in art history / curatorship / visual culture

Job description

This position supports an ERC-funded project examining how sociopolitical objects operate within socially engaged art practices. The role provides the foundational dataset for the project.

Duties

You will work on the project's WP2, which brings together multiple existing archival materials of socially engaged art—including specialised archives such as Arte Útil, exhibitions such as Creative Time's Living as Form and documenta fifteen, awards such as the Visible Award, and critical publications such as FIELD journal—along with additional catalogues and institutional sources. The dataset produced in this phase will be published with a DOI, and contributors will be credited accordingly. You are also expected to publish academic papers connected with the WP. The goal of this role is to compile, aggregate, and structure this dispersed material into a unified, standardised dataset for the next stage of the project.

• Review and consolidate existing materials: Assess and integrate the archival materials already collected by different team members, identifying gaps, inconsistencies, and overlaps.
• Complete and standardise data documentation: Fill in missing information, resolve inconsistencies, and ensure that all project information is organised and standardised according to a unified metadata schema developed with the project team.
• Structure the dataset for analysis: Shape the consolidated materials into a coherent, well‑structured dataset with clear documentation and consistent formatting, ready for the next stage of the project.

Eligibility

• Demonstrable knowledge of the project's conceptual and theoretical framework.
• Experience working closely with archival materials in socially engaged art.
• Strong organisational, documentation, and archival practice skills.
• Ability to review, consolidate, and standardise heterogeneous materials.
• Familiarity with catalogues, institutional archives, and specialised art archives required for the project.
• Understanding of how socially engaged art projects are documented across different institutions and independent contexts.
• Ability to work independently and systematically.

Desirable

• Advanced degree and substantial professional experience in art history, curatorship, visual culture, museum studies, or a related field.
• Experience with the Arte Útil archive or similar specialised archives.
• Knowledge of metadata standards and/or research data management.
• Multilingual ability for working with international materials.

Employment

The employment is intermittent and applies for the period from 24 August 2026 to 12 February 2027. In an intermittent employment you are called in and may choose to accept the offered work, which then constitutes a new employment relationship on each individual occasion. You also have the right to decline such offers. Hours worked are reported to the employer on a monthly basis.

Contact Information

THIINGSTIGATE PI, Tintin Wulia, phone: [phone], email: [e-mail]

HR function at HDK-Valand: [e-mail]

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by 2026-07-31.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Universitetet arbetar aktivt för en arbetsmiljö med jämställda förhållanden och sätter värde på de kvalitéer mångfald tillför verksamheten.

Universitetet tillämpar individuell lönesättning.

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