Archival Strategies and Techniques [Paperback]

Historical and biographical work is becoming a more common type of qualitative research done by social scientists and usually requires the extensive use of formal archives housed in universities, governments, museums and other institutions. This practical and concise book provides an introduction for the novice on conducting archival research and covers such topics as contacting and preparing to work in archives, the protocol of using archives, and ways of organizing and referencing the useful data from the archive.Historical and biographical work is becoming a more common type of qualitative research done by social scientists and usually requires the extensive use of formal archives housed in universities, governments, museums and other institutions. This practical and concise book provides an introduction for the novice on conducting archival research and covers such topics as contacting and preparing to work in archives, the protocol of using archives, and ways of organizing and referencing the useful data from the archive.Introduction
Archival Sedimentation
Structure, Control, and Technology
Getting Started
`Targets' and `Tool Kits'
Orientation Interviews
Confronting the `Black Box' Problem
Life in the Reading Room
Strategies for Organizing Archival Data
Methodological Complexities
Publication, Citations, and Permissions
Non-Archival Data Sources