Reflections on the Creation of a Research Archive on One of the Mid-Twentieth Century’s Most Renowned Religious Figures

Abstract

This reflective article investigates the research processes involved in bringing together a vast archive of primary material on one of Britain’s most significant mid-twentieth century religious figures. A mixture of informal and more recognized formal methods are evident in the overall research methodology. At times synchronicity appeared to be at work in revealing forgotten and lost treasures. This apparent randomness was, however, rooted in networking principles and the importance of being known within a given field of research. For the most part the research process followed methods of sustained, systematic and laborious study, including searching for leads and pursuing them. The results of the research are an unrivalled research archive of previously unknown or uncatalogued primary materials for the study of William Edwin Sangster. The materials themselves include hundreds of articles, over 100 letters, 24 taped sermons and numerous other materials not covered in the survey.