An introduction to researching student lives: methodological and theoretical perspectives

The last decade has witnessed a flourishing of research on student lives and student experiences around the world, transforming how we see higher education history within its social and cultural context. This introductory article provides a discussion of recent literature and historiographical trends in student histories outlining key methodological approaches. We explore how historians can grapple with the ephemerality of this material, with the shifting constellation of students involved with developing it, and with the variability of archival practices across institutions.