Who should take the Certificate in Humanities Research Skills?

Anyone about to start serious humanities study, returners coming back to academic work after a gap, and working professionals whose roles increasingly require research-grade source literacy. The Certificate in Humanities Research Skills builds the craft without committing to a long degree.

Does the Certificate in Humanities Research Skills include real archival work?

Yes. On-campus students complete a British Library practicum with tutor supervision. Online and distance students complete equivalent work through remote British Library access and partnered digital archives, with structured tutor support.

How does the Certificate in Humanities Research Skills handle generative AI in research?

Directly. The research ethics module covers what generative AI can and cannot be used for in humanities research, plagiarism boundaries and current academic-integrity expectations across UK higher education.

Can the Certificate in Humanities Research Skills be studied online?

Yes. The online route mirrors the on-campus course with live tutorials, recorded methods lectures and asynchronous discussion. Distance learners complete the final project under tutor supervision with structured submission deadlines.

How long does the Certificate in Humanities Research Skills take?

Three months full-time or six months part-time. Distance-learning students typically finish within nine months. Admissions can confirm the next intake date and a study plan that fits your schedule.

Certificate in Humanities Research Skills | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Humanities Research Skills at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a short, intensive UK qualification for students, returners and working professionals who want a working foundation in humanities research practice. Over three to six months you will learn to assess sources, navigate archives and digital collections, structure a research argument and write it up to academic standards.

The Certificate in Humanities Research Skills is designed for the moment before you start (or restart) serious humanities study — whether that's a Diploma, a degree top-up, or an extended writing or research project at work. The aim is practical: you finish with the research craft an examiner, an editor or a supervisor would expect.

Key Features

UK-recognised entry-level credential in humanities research practice, designed around British Academy and RSA frameworks.
Source-evaluation workshops — primary and secondary, print and digital, attribution and provenance.
British Library practicum for on-campus students; tutor-led remote British Library access for online students.
Citation and bibliography across major humanities conventions (MHRA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard).
Academic writing module — essay structure, argument, evidence handling, voice.
Final independent project of 3,000-to-5,000 words on a humanities topic of your choice.

What You Will Learn

The Certificate in Humanities Research Skills is structured around the working competencies a humanities researcher needs before tackling an extended project. You leave able to plan a literature search, evaluate a source, manage citations, and write a clean argument that holds up to scrutiny.

Research-question design — scope, feasibility, originality.
Literature search — databases, library catalogues, archive finding aids, digital collections.
Source evaluation — primary vs secondary, provenance, attribution, authority.
Reading for argument — critical reading techniques across long and short forms.
Note-taking and information management — keeping a research log, reference management tools.
Citation and bibliography — MHRA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and choosing the right convention.
Academic writing — paragraph structure, signposting, evidence handling, voice.
Research ethics — citation honesty, plagiarism, generative-AI use boundaries.

Who This Course Is For

Career-changers and returners preparing for humanities study at Diploma, Bachelor's or Master's level.
Editors, journalists and policy researchers wanting more rigorous research literacy.
Working professionals — teachers, librarians, museum staff — preparing for extended writing or research projects.
Students about to start a longer course who want a confident grounding in research craft.

Career Pathways

The Certificate in Humanities Research Skills is a foundation credential. Graduates typically use it to enter further humanities study or to strengthen research-track applications. Typical next steps include:

Editorial Researcher (publisher, broadcaster, magazine)
Library Assistant (university, public library, specialist library)
Archive Assistant (county record office, university archive)
Humanities Researcher (post-further-study)
Cultural Programme Coordinator (museum, gallery, festival)
Policy Researcher (think tank, NGO post-further-study)

Credits from the Certificate count toward LSJHML's Diploma in Modern Humanities and Advanced Diploma in Humanities for students continuing.

Entry Requirements

Minimum age 16.
Secondary school qualification (GCSE/O-Level or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) for non-native English speakers.
No prior humanities experience required.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.