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