Documentary Research Methods PDF

Documentary research is a method used in social sciences, history, and other fields to analyze and interpret documents to gain insights into past and present phenomena. Unlike experimental or observational research, documentary research relies on existing documents as its primary data source. These...

Documentary research is a method used in social sciences, history, and other fields to analyze and interpret documents to gain insights into past and present phenomena. Unlike experimental or observational research, documentary research relies on existing documents as its primary data source. These documents can include government reports, letters, newspapers, photographs, official records, or even audio and video recordings **Documentary research** is a method of collecting, reviewing, and analyzing existing documents and records to generate new insights or answer specific research questions. This type of research is particularly valuable for studying historical events, social trends, policies, and cultural practices. **Key Features of Documentary Research**: - - -. Documentary research can be categorized into different types depending on the nature and purpose of the research. The main types include historical research, content analysis, and case study resear\ 2. **Archival Research** **Definition**: Archival research involves studying primary sources stored in archives, such as historical documents, government records, personal letters, or photographs, to gather firsthand information. Archives are valuable for accessing primary data that cannot be obtained through observation. **Steps**: - - - **Example**: Analyzing government census data from the 19th century to understand population trends and migration patterns.. APA (American Psychological Association) APA (American Psychological Association) style is a citation format used in the social sciences, education, and engineering, as well as in the sciences. APA consists of two elements: in-text citations and a reference list. It uses an **author-date** system, in which the author's last name and year of publication are put in parentheses (e.g. Smith 2003). These [[parenthetical citations]](https://www.bibguru.com/blog/parenthetical-citation/) refer the reader to a list at the end of the paper, which includes information about each source.. Chicago style is another form of citation used for science papers and journals. It has two formats: a **notes and bibliography** system and an **author-date** system. The notes and bibliography system is mostly used for the humanities, whereas the author-date system is used in science and business. The latter uses in-text citations formed by the author\'s last name and date of publication. A [[bibliography]](https://www.bibguru.com/blog/what-is-a-bibliography/) at the end of the paper lists the full information for all references. ### **Chicago style resources** Edgeworth, Maria. "The Limerick Gloves." In *The Oxford Book of Irish Short Stories*, edited by William Trevor, 27--51. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP, 2010 In [[MLA style]](https://www.scribbr.com/category/mla/), the list of Works Cited (also known as a reference list or bibliography) appears at the end of your paper. It gives full details of every source that you cited in an [[MLA in-text citation]](https://www.scribbr.com/mla/in-text-citations/). Like the rest of an [[MLA format]](https://www.scribbr.com/mla/formatting/) paper, the Works Cited should be left-aligned and double-spaced with 1-inch margins. You can use our free [[MLA Citation Generator]](https://www.scribbr.com/citation/generator/mla/) to create and manage your Works Cited list. Choose your source type and enter the URL, DOI or title to get started..