Project: Curating a Collection of Fantastic Flies at Oxford

28 July – 5 September (six weeks), supervised by Rob Douglas

Project summary

This project will focus around the labelling, curation, digitisation and incorporation of a large, scientifically important collection of Root-maggot flies, Diptera: Anthomyiidae. This project offers the chance to get a holistic experience of how entomological collections in museum are constructed and managed.

Project details

The collection comprises circa. 15,000 specimens and some work has already been done to catalogue and begin labelling specimens by our dedicated volunteers. The successful applicant will have a large chunk of specimen labelling to do, but will also incorporate the material into our main Anthomyiidae collection, organising the collection taxonomically and digitising important specimens.

Full training will be provided so that the student can:

Handle and manipulate Museum entomology specimens safely and efficiently
Re-curate the collection including performing remedial conservation on damaged specimens, labelling the specimens, and transferring them to new storage
Understand entomological taxonomy in order to arrange the collection
Use photo-stacking equipment to image entomology specimens
Write a 500-word report
Stretch goal: Extend the project to the Museum’s unidentified Anthomyiidae holdings, learning how to identify insect specimens

Selection criteria

Essential

Excellent attention to detail, with an organised and methodical approach
Commendable manual dexterity, with ability to reliably manipulate small objects
Ability to concentrate for long periods on repetitive tasks
Strong self-motivation and ability to work independently without close supervision, as well as part of a team
Good communication skills

Desirable

Strong interest of working in a museum setting
Basic understanding of taxonomy
Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, in particular Microsoft Word and Excel

Outcomes for students

Experience in the organisation and management of insect specimens
A more in-depth knowledge of Root-maggot Flies: Diptera, Anthomyiidae
Improved knowledge of museums and collections care as well as documentation
Experience in digitisation of museum specimens
Gaining knowledge of ‘Type’ specimens in museums
Good organisational, documentation and IT skills
Particularly valuable for students interested in a career in museum collections

Reasonable adjustments

The museum is committed to making reasonable adjustments to its summer placements to make sure that students with disabilities or health conditions are not substantially disadvantaged. If you are concerned about meeting the selection criteria for a project of interest, or completing relevant tasks, please get in touch with Hannah Betts before submitting your application to discuss possible adjustments to the project: summerplacements@oum.ox.ac.uk.