ABSTRACT
Most qualitative data-generation methods begin from direct experience, whether of a situation or a simple conversation. However, the method in this category begins with other people’s interpretations of experience and what they have chosen to write about it. In some ways, it can be seen as more removed from the situation, as it has been filtered and organized by the writer. The vast majority of formal research studies include some documentary analysis as a literature review. The emphasis is on situations where the analysis of documents and artifacts will be a primary data-generation approach, such as a historical or policy study. There are five aspects of using existing resources it is helpful to consider. Researchers will find it useful to describe their approach to these aspects in reports of the research, as cultural artifacts can take so many forms and be analyzed in so many ways. The aspects include scope, sources, parameters, open or closed responses, and positioning and interests.
