The National Archives concluded the final evaluation of students' research papers participating in the Young Historian Award in its eighth year (2017).  Referee committee was composed of NA experts and advisors, in addition to representatives of Abu Dhabi Education Council.

National Archives Completes Evaluation of Research Papers of "Young Historian Award, 2017"

The National Archives concluded the final evaluation of students' research papers participating in the Young Historian Award in its eighth year (2017).  Referee committee was composed of NA experts and advisors, in addition to representatives of Abu Dhabi Education Council.  The committee praised the good number of participants from schools of Abu Dhabi Education Council, and Ministry of Education.

The committee pointed out that the majority of participating works focused on two topics: Oral History, which records interviews with and narrations by the elderly; and social history, which focuses on UAE's social life, past and present.

The committee stressed the importance of keeping up with the vision of the wise leadership and focusing on its initiatives, such as the 2017 initiative, the "Year of Giving", and to focus on the values it advocates, such as positiveness, happiness and tolerance. 

The committee reviewed the submitted papers according to the predefined evaluation criteria as follows: Title of research and strength of the content, diversity of sources and how they were employed, writing ability of authors using proper classical Arabic and proper grammar, including transcribing local dialect of interviews, commitment to social history topics, technical design, photos and other attachments such as graphics and multimedia, and  paper’s reflection of a UAE social phenomenon, including geography and social life.

Among its recommendations, the committee urged completion of the research presented to the Award at its next sessions, and to strictly follow the standards. It also recommended holding workshops for award supervisors, especially sessions and workshops regarding conducting interviews in oral history. The committee emphasized the importance of inviting more schools to participate in the future, such as private schools and technical institutes.

It is worth mentioning that the National Archives will soon announce the results of the 2017 Young Historian Award, and then, together with its strategic partners, will honor the winning schools and students.

The Young Historian Award aims to promote national loyalty and identity, and to encourage research and study in UAE history, as well as to make students partners in protecting the UAE's heritage and making it available. The award is offered to winners in the following categories: Oral History, geographical history, economic history, and social history.