The Documenting Approach

In this chapter, we outline the documenting approach in greater detail. The documenting approach is rather marginal in organization and management research or, at least, is rarely taken explicitly. In contrast to the other approaches, multimodal artefacts here are utilized to support the research process in terms of capturing and collecting data, supporting theory development, and presenting research findings. To name just a few examples: In terms of data collection, multimodal tools like video help researchers record their impressions in a more holistic way than verbal field notes. For data analysis and theory development, data visualization techniques and theory sketches make findings more tangible and facilitate comprehension. Finally, presenting findings, for instance, as graphs and diagrams makes scientific insights more transparent to lay audiences. Apart from discussing these aspects of research that come into focus from a documenting perspective on multimodality, we further introduce and outline a series of studies that illustrate the documenting angle. Finally, we suggest implications of different modes for documenting research and outline specific challenges and opportunities regarding multimodality.