ABSTRACT
Many public institutions collect and store information routinely, and this material can to some extent be obtained, analyzed and interpreted (Scott & Attia, 2017). Public records with information about the population are available in most modern societies. Some are widely accessible in the form of a large amount of statistical material that makes it impossible to identify individuals, and analysis may give insight into the influences of different caregiving environments. Box 23.1 is an example of a study based on archival data. Other records have strict limitations on who can access them and how they can be used owing to privacy protection laws. However, analysis of medical records or reports from health centers, hospitals, kindergartens, schools and school psychologists may give important information about the effect of different intervention measures. Archives represent an efficient and time-effective way of accessing information, but their drawback is that researchers cannot influence the information or ask follow-up questions.
