The research project of doctoral candidate Taina Saarenpää deals with the publication of medieval sources in Finland 1700-1900 and the way historical past is constructed through source publications. The case study focuses on the publication of the Black Book of Abo Cathedral.
Saarenpää poses the general question of how the historical scholarship has been influenced by the conventions applied to the collection, editing and publication of the sources. She observes the source publications as a part of nation building asking how and why were they made, what was the role of the archive and how were the publications received.
The aim of the study is to analyse the finnish publication work as a part of a larger european phenomenon and to make historians more aware of the choices made during the publication.