HISTORICAL METHOD AND ARCHIVAL MEASURE

Caroline Dubois, Julia Fricke, Jules Pitre, Lydia Thorne, Michelle Wood

AGENDAIntroduction & Definitions – JuliaHistorical Method – MichelleArchival Measure – JulesBiases in Historical Method & Archival Measure – CarolineCase Study – LydiaEthics in the Historical Method – JuliaConclusion - Julia

INTRODUCTION

Historical Methoddefined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a technique of presenting

information in which a topic is considered in terms of its earliest phases and followed in an historical course through its subsequent evolution and development”

Archival Measure defined by Palys as “any information that is contained in “hard copy” records

or documents (p. 226

  Qualitative QuantitativeFocus

HumanObservable variables

Materials Interviews, documents Data

Historical Method ✓ ✗

Archival Measure ✓ ✓

Reminder: Qualitative vs Quantitative

HISTORICAL METHOD

Identify a topic

Find primary and secondary sources

The original materials which are “produced by people or groups directly involved in the event or [the] topic under consideration, either as participants or as witnesses” (Rampolla 2010, p. 6).

What are they?Documents – diaries, census data, letters, newspaper and magazine articles,

autobiographies, birth and death registers, literature, etc.Unwritten sources – recordings, artifacts, art, films, eyewitness accounts, etc.

Where are they?ArchivesLibrary cataloguesEdited and/or translated print collectionsElectronic databases

PRIMARY SOURCES

The “books and articles in scholarly journals that comment on and interpret primary sources” (Rampolla 2010, p. 7).

These sources are very useful; however, they are NOT as valuable as primary sources

Where are they?Library cataloguesOnline databasesJournalsThe internet

SECONDARY SOURCES

Organize, Evaluate and interpret the sources

Present your ideas in writing

Historiography refers to the study of historical writing and the methods used by historians

It also refers to the actual writing of history

Historiographic essays are concerned with what historians have written, how they have interpreted events, and what methods they used

Focus on the secondary sources

HISTORIOGRAPHY

ARCHIVAL PRESERVATION

Archives: “are that small portion of all the info, communications, ideas and opinions people generate that are recorded and kept. Archives are tangible products, whether they are physical or electronic, visual, aural or written” (Millar 2010, p. 2)

Great effect of information technology on modern archival procedures

Advantages of digital technologies:Protecting the originalsRepresentation of the originalsTranscending the originals

General principles for preservation of all materialsAppraisal is both necessary and desirableKeep the original Keep multiple copies of objectsDo the minimum necessary to stabilize and preserve the objectPreservation actions should not exceed the abilities of the personnel who

apply themPreservation actions should aim at the highest quality possiblePreservation actions should not harm the objectPreservation actions should be documentedPreservation actions should adhere to ethical considerations

ARCHIVAL RESEARCH – THE BASICS“Sometimes, archival research involves following a Nancy Drew-

like trail of clues that culminates in the rare, intriguing, “holy grail” find at the conclusion of the search – but not often” (Ramsey, et al., eds p. 29)

Tedious and time consumingStart with a broad research questionConsider the various materials availableAre they truthful? Is background research needed?

General rules when going through archives:Know what is forbiddenWash hands before handling documentsUse provided equipment if necessary

Greatly depends on the archival institution

ARCHIVAL MEASURE

Qualitative and Quantitative analysisUnobtrusive measures: Offers a compendium of techniques and measures

that are less influenced by the intrusion of the researcher. These techniques are non-reactive because the data are produced where there is no thought of the evidence being analysed in the future and the research gets involved usually long after the participants have “left the scene” (Webb et al.)

Two Categories: Physical Trace and Archival Measure

Physical Trace: essentially the physical remains after an interactionErosion: evidence that is missing from the sceneAccretion: evidence that has been added after a physical

encounterProvides research with information about individualsAdvantages -> inconspicuous and anonymousDisadvantages -> questions privacy and lack of informed consent

Archival measure: “comprise any information that is contained in ‘hard copy’ records or documents” (Palys, p. 226)

Written or taped records, photographs, newspapers, books, private materials, government records

Be wary of any shifts in collections maintenance or policy changesMaterials NOT made for researchers observation but for own

personal use!

JACOB SISKIND COLLECTION

Carleton University ArchivesJacob Siskind Music Resource Centre

Biases of Historical Method and Archival Measure

History: event vs records

Data as a social process

Biases of Historical Method and Archival Measure

Qualitative and Quantitative

BIASES

Biases of Historical Method and Archival MeasureReactivityContext of ConstructionCreator

Biases of Historical Method and Archival Measure

Selective Deposit/Selective Survival

Archival Collection

Biases of Historical Method and Archival Measure

General Limiters*Quantitative Analysis

CASE STUDY

Crime Statistics

CRIME STATISTICS

How is crime defined?

How would you define crime?

THERE IS NO CONCRETE DEFINITION

Crime is socially constructed

Laws generally reflect the beliefs of society; they are created and/or defined by people of that society and so can change over time

For ex. in London, England: Robbery stats formerly only included those cases where the robbery was certain or probable (Palys 2008, p. 231)

The same behaviour that may be considered criminal in one society may not be in another; they are not universal

Crime statistics also change to reflect a society’s fear of a crime at any given time

CRIME STATS: ARE THEY ACCURATE?

Crime statistics:

Not all crimes that are committed become statistics

This is referred to as the ‘dark figure’ of crime or unreported crime

For a Crime to become a statistic…..relies on 2 measures:

1) Needs to be Reported (by the victim or witness of the crime)

CLASS SCENARIO

What are some of the reasons why you did not report the ‘crime’?

What did you actually see?

Reasons why people don’t report:

Not perceived as a crime/ Lack of awareness

Nothing could be done, lack of proof

Not important enough/perceive crime as too trivial

Don’t want to bother anyone

Too inconvenient or time-consuming

Fear of reprisal

Fear it may not be taken seriously

Reported to someone else

2) Needs to be recorded (by the police)

Even if police respond - was a report written?

When police arrive on the scene they determine if a crime has actually been committed

Police use their discretion to investigate some crimes and not others

Re-classifying to increase/reduce the amount of crime that has taken place has an affect on crime statistics

SOLUTIONS

Remember that your research will give you “a slice of the truth” as data originates through a social process

Be aware of the biases that might permeate your method and your data, so that conflicting evidence can be resolved and a more holistic reconstruction can be achieved

ETHICAL ISSUES

Legal ≠ Ethical

What is the main issue with archival materials?Consent!

CONCLUSIONS

• Any Questions?

BIBLIOGRAPHY • Berg, B.L. & Lune, H. (2012). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. Boston, MA: Pearson

• Harvey, R., & Mahard, M. R. (2014). The Preservation Management Handbook: A 21st-Century Guide for Librarians, Archives, and Museums. Toronto: Rowman & Littlefield.

• Henry, S. (2009). Social construction of crime. In J. Miller (Ed.), 21st century criminology: A Reference handbook (pp. 296-305). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc.

• McKee, H.A. & Porter, J.E. (2012). The Ethics of Archival Research. College Composition and Communication, 64(1), 59-81.

• Palys, T., & Atchison, C. (Eds.) (2008). Historical method and archival measure. Research decisions: Quantitative and qualitative procedures (4th ed.). (pp. 223-251). Scarborough, ON: Thomas Nelson.

• Pfuhl, E. H., & Henry, S. (Eds.). (1993). The deviance process: Social problems and social issues. New York: Walter de Gruyter Inc.

• Rampolla, M.L. (2010). A pocket guide to writing in history (6th ed.) Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

• Ramsey, A. E., Sharer, W. B., L'Eplattenier, B., & Mastranfelo, L. S. (Eds.). (2010). Working in the Archives: Practical Research Methods for Rhetoric and Composition. Illinois: Southern Illinois University Press.

• Ryan, G.W., & Russell, B.H. (2003). Techniques to identify themes in qualitative data. Field Methods, 15(1), 85–109.

• Smartt, U. (Ed.). (2006). Criminal justice. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

• Wildemuth, B. (2009). Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information and Library Science. London: Libraries Limited.

• Vann, R.T. Historiography. (2014). In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/267436/historiography

THANK YOU!