Research is the newest area in which I work, but in some ways I have been doing research for a long time. As a writer and a metadata consultant I have become skilled at asking hard questions, gathering and organizing data, and synthesizing it into accessible and useful forms. I am naturally curious and love to learn new things.
I use qualitative research methods to help organizations identify barriers, gather feedback, and make better decisions about how to allocate their resources. Whether it’s understanding particular challenges and conditions, or providing a broad overview of a field or discipline, I employ structured interviews, focus groups, surveys, and textual research as the basis for succinct and informative reports, toolkits, guidelines, and other documents.
I recognize that all research is extractive and strive to work ethically and respectfully with all participants. I believe that good research involves fully informed consent from respondents and reciprocity. With this in mind, I build proper compensation for respondents into all of my research budgets, and attempt to form relationships that are mutually beneficial for respondents, clients, and myself.
Sharon’s work is intentional, comprehensive, and inclusive. She is a thoughtful and dedicated expert who listens carefully, sets realistic and actionable goals, and helps her clients think about sustainable and ethical practices. I cannot recommend her highly enough for consultation and research services.
– Audra Eagle Yun, Head of Special Collections & Archives and University Archivist, University of California, Irvine Libraries
Reports
Critical Minded
Critical Minded is a grantmaking and learning initiative whose work is focused on resourcing and raising the visibility of critics and writers through direct support to publications and individuals, research, and convening.
The first report of its kind, Topdogs and Underdogs looks at the experiences and challenges of critics of color in the United States, with a special focus on theater critics. It appears in the midst of growing backlash to the institutional commitments and cultural gains made in response to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, as corporate diversity initiatives are disappearing, book bans are rising, and demands to exclude topics like slavery from school curricula throughout the country keep gaining traction. All are signs of potential cultural backslide – one that we need critics, especially critics of color, to anticipate, call attention to, and grapple with for us.
Community-Centered Archives Practice: Transforming Education, Archives and Community History (C-CAP TEACH), 2023-24
C-CAP TEACH is a Mellon-funded initiative led by the University of California, Irvine Libraries Department of Special Collections & Archives — Orange County & Southeast Asian Archive Center. The Digital Collections & Digital Exhibitions research project attempted to answer two main questions: 1) How can regional and national digital collection aggregators (e.g., DPLA, the DPLA Hubs Network, and other regional aggregators) work towards a more representative and inclusive aggregation; and 2) What is a responsible and inclusive digital exhibition framework that may amplify historically marginalized narratives?
This guide is for community organizations and the institutions that hope to partner with them to share their stories online. It provides an introduction to two forms of online sharing common among archives and libraries—aggregation websites and online storytelling — and suggests key questions for community organizations to consider before they decide to share their content online, or before they enter into a partnership with another organization or individual to do so. Sharing Your Stories Online also includes questions and resources for more well-resourced institutions interested in partnering with community organizations.
This report summarizes and contextualizes the national survey conducted as part of this research.
This report summarizes and contextualizes the organization and curator interviews conducted as part of this research.
This paper is a preliminary environmental scan designed to identify actionable strategies to support ethical and responsible representation of marginalized histories in digital collection aggregations and exhibitions.