About the BHCThe Business History Conference is a scholarly organization devoted to encouraging all aspects of research, writing, and teaching about business history and the environment in which businesses operate. Founded in 1954, the organization is now international in scope, with approximately 30 percent of its membership residing outside North America. About the projectThe BHC´s digital presence began in the early 2000s. The BHC manages a website, a blog, and social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn). In addition, especially with the coronavirus pandemic, some of its regular events have become virtual. Thus the BHC increasingly relies on digital technology to connect with its members. Anticipating more changes to the technological and economic environment, BHC´s Web Editor and Web Administrator have received authorization from the BHC Trustees to initiate a thorough review of our current digital strategies. This review of officers’ and members’ expectations and experiences of our existing digital tools, as well as consideration of best practices being pioneered by other organizations in a turbulent environment, will guide the future digital work of our officers and directors.The BHC invites applications for two research positions, each eight months in duration. We encourage graduate students and emerging scholars to apply. The work will begin immediately and continue through September (for approximately 30 weeks). Researchers will work about 10 hours a week and be compensated at $20/hour (total compensation for each will not exceed $6,000). One of the researchers must be fully bilingual in Spanish and English.The researchers will, in coordination with the BHC Electronic Media Oversight Committee (EMOC) and the BHC Web Editor and Web Administrator:
- Review current digital media platforms and assess the organization’s usage of them.
- Conduct interviews with users of web platforms and in-person and online event attendees
- Organize and facilitate focus groups to understand members’ experiences with BHC programming, including the Annual Meeting, the Doctoral Colloquium, and the Mid-year event.
- Research what other organizations are doing regarding online initiatives and virtual/hybrid meetings.
- Research and make recommendations on digital best practices for scholarly organizations.
- Assist in the creation of a digital presence strategy report to the EMOC.
Requirements to apply:
- Demonstrable familiarity with digital communications technologies, including social media tools, web platforms, and video conferencing platforms. Advanced technical skills (e.g., coding, server, or database management) are desirable but not required.
- Familiarity with scholarly associations and business history.
Application process:
- Interested candidates should send a letter of interest explaining their qualifications, digital projects experience, potential contributions to the project and the organization, and a brief CV. Please send documents in one PDF file to the project directors, Paula de la Cruz Fernandez and Shane Hamilton, at web-editor@thebhc.org by January 20th, 2022.
