Postgraduate Diploma in Origin Research and Brand Archives
Online 800-hour Postgraduate Diploma in Origin Research and Brand Archives. 8 modules covering ISAD(G) (international standard for archival description), ISO 15489-1 (records management) and Zotero. Assigned tutor and enrolment open.
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Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Assess the importance of brand archives for authentication.
Apply a rigorous origin research methodology.
Identify a vehicle's origin from its numbering and characteristics.
Locate and consult public and private external archives.
Interpret factory documentation and period manuscripts.
Respect the legal aspects of access and data protection.
Write a well-founded and verifiable origin report.
Who it's for
- Automotive historical researcher who wants to specialise in Origin Research and Brand Archives.
- Brand archivist who wants to specialise in Origin Research and Brand Archives.
- Collections documentalist who wants to specialise in Origin Research and Brand Archives.
- Authenticity expert who wants to specialise in Origin Research and Brand Archives.
- Provenance consultant for auctions who wants to specialise in Origin Research and Brand Archives.
- Industrial heritage historian who wants to specialise in Origin Research and Brand Archives.
- Graduates in engineering or science who want to enter manufacturers' archives.
What you'll work with
- ISAD(G) (international standard for archival description)
- ISO 15489-1 (records management)
- ISO 3779 (vehicle identification number, VIN)
- ISO 3780 (world manufacturer identifier, WMI)
- Law 16/1985 (Spanish Historical Heritage)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR)
- Royal Decree 1708/2011 (Spanish Archives System)
8 modules · 800 h
1.1Manufacturers' corporate archives1.2Heritage and classic car departments1.3Types of factory documents1.4Production books and build sheets1.5Order and specification forms1.6Export documentation1.7Competition archives1.8Lost archives and mergers1.9Access and consultation policies1.10Case study: map of a European brand's archives
2.1Research questions2.2Search planning2.3Primary and secondary sources2.4Recording enquiries2.5Reference management2.6Source criticism2.7Cross-checking and triangulation2.8Hypotheses and conclusions2.9Communicating uncertainties2.10Practice: origin research plan
3.1Chassis number and its decoding3.2Body and paint codes3.3Upholstery codes3.4Factory options3.5Dealer and target market3.6Date of manufacture and delivery3.7First owner3.8Independent coachbuilders3.9Factory modifications3.10Workshop: decoding an identification plate
4.1Historical registration records4.2Customs and port archives4.3Club and register archives4.4Coachbuilders' archives4.5Digital newspaper archives4.6Libraries and museums4.7Dealership archives4.8Auctions and old catalogues4.9Press photographic archives4.10Practice: searching digital newspaper archives
5.1Reading period documents5.2Abbreviations and internal codes5.3Dating documents5.4Languages in factory documents5.5Microfilm and digitised documents5.6Reproduction and authorised copies5.7Brand heritage certificates5.8Interpreting discrepancies5.9Errors in factory records5.10Laboratory: transcribing a production book
6.1Rights over brand documents6.2Intellectual property of archives6.3Protection of owners' data6.4GDPR and historical research6.5Commercial use of documents6.6Brand certificates and their validity6.7Liability for false information6.8Public archives and access6.9Research contracts6.10Case study: use of owners' personal data
7.1Structure of the origin report7.2Summary of findings7.3Vehicle chronology7.4Reproduction of documents7.5Degree of certainty7.6Annexes and references7.7Presentation to clients7.8Use in auctions7.9Updating the report7.10Workshop: writing an origin report
8.1Selecting the vehicle8.2Research plan8.3Consulting brand archives8.4Consulting external archives8.5Document analysis8.6Reconstructing the origin8.7Origin report8.8Validating findings8.9Written report and presentation8.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetable: students progress at their own pace within the enrolment period, which makes it possible to combine the course with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Zotero, Transkribus, Tropy, PARES (Spanish Archives Portal), in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practicals cover real archive enquiry procedures for brand and registry archives, palaeographic reading of factory documents, and drafting origin reports. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrative project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Assess the importance of brand archives for authentication.
Apply a rigorous origin research methodology.
Identify a vehicle's origin from its numbering and characteristics.
Locate and consult public and private external archives.
Interpret factory documentation and period manuscripts.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. A university degree is not required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical standards reading.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours, spread over 6 to 8 months. That is between 10 and 15 hours per week on average, compatible with a full-time job.
You work with Zotero, Transkribus, Tropy, PARES (Spanish Archives Portal). Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An own SEIUM diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrative project. This is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Please check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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