Overview

This book offers qualitative researchers an entrée into the world of working with archival repositories and special collections. It serves as a primer for students and researchers who might not be familiar with these sorts of collections, but with an interest in what has become known asthe ""archival turn,"" in which the use of archival materials and artifacts in contemporary research has increased dramatically since the 1990s. Suited to novice researchers seeking a general introduction into how special collections are created and how they can be used, the book offers useful, clear guidance on using different types of archives, developing topics for research within the archives, assessing materials available, how to work with archivists and curators, documenting the research process, and writing up an archival study. Archival records and material culture (including manuscripts, documents, audio- and video-recordings, and visual and material culture) housed in special collections provide a wealth of resources for qualitative researchers seeking to conduct research in the social sciences. Perfect for courses in: Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods, Research Methods in Higher Education, Exploring Archival Collections, Family Studies, Community Research, Introduction to Special Collections Research.

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9781975503123

Table of Contents

Reviews

The documentary archive is two-edged. It honors and brings history alive, offering a window into the voices, pains and social injustices of the past. The same window turns history back on itself, using the cracks, and contradiction of the past to imagine new futures, new utopias. Bringing the newcomer into the field through the multiple forms and uses of the archive is brilliant...The field owes the authors a big thanks. --Norman K. Denzin, Emeritus Professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign This text is most timely, useful, and appropriate for teaching and learning qualitative inquiry in the Social Sciences field. It provides instructors and students with a range of approaches to archival practice. It is wide ranging from the who, what, how, where, and why of the practices. It SHOWS how it is done and provides examples of the authors and the graduate students' practices. It provides social sciences and qualitative inquiry with a much-needed basic understanding of archival practices. --Janice B. Fournillier, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Research Measurement and Statistics, Educational Policy Studies, Georgia State University In Exploring the Archives: A Beginner's Guide for Qualitative Researchers, Roulston and deMarrais bring together foundational as well as newer, cutting edge ideas related to archival research. From a discussion of what it means to be an archivist to an examination of the different kinds of archival research, this book offers a thoughtful, thorough, and accessible overview of archival research practices. The book includes both core chapters that introduce key concepts of archival research, as well as reflection chapters that offer rich and illustrative examples of archival research. Indeed, this book serves as the leading resource for scholars interested in completing archival research. --Jessica Nina Lester, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Inquiry Methodology, Indiana University Roulston and deMarrais' Exploring the Archives: A Beginner's Guide for Qualitative Researchers is a most welcome and needed addition to the qualitative data collection literature. Like a rare find in the archive, this text overflows with rich details and thoughtful considerations of the nuances of archival work. The authors expertly guide readers through all aspects of qualitative archival work. Insightful examples punctuate the procedural work done in the main chapters of the text. This is a rich resource for anyone interested in qualitative archival research. --Susan Nordstrom, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Educational Research, The University of Memphis

(I) Encourage students to read the advice proffered by Roulston and deMarrais - and to use it as a guide towards exploring the archives. The material they find there will enrich our collective body of knowledge. --Review by Nigel Stark for the Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 9-1-21 The documentary archive is two-edged. It honors and brings history alive, offering a window into the voices, pains and social injustices of the past. The same window turns history back on itself, using the cracks, and contradiction of the past to imagine new futures, new utopias. Bringing the newcomer into the field through the multiple forms and uses of the archive is brilliant...The field owes the authors a big thanks. --Norman K. Denzin, Emeritus Professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign This text is most timely, useful, and appropriate for teaching and learning qualitative inquiry in the Social Sciences field. It provides instructors and students with a range of approaches to archival practice. It is wide ranging from the who, what, how, where, and why of the practices. It SHOWS how it is done and provides examples of the authors and the graduate students' practices. It provides social sciences and qualitative inquiry with a much-needed basic understanding of archival practices. --Janice B. Fournillier, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Research Measurement and Statistics, Educational Policy Studies, Georgia State University In Exploring the Archives: A Beginner's Guide for Qualitative Researchers, Roulston and deMarrais bring together foundational as well as newer, cutting edge ideas related to archival research. From a discussion of what it means to be an archivist to an examination of the different kinds of archival research, this book offers a thoughtful, thorough, and accessible overview of archival research practices. The book includes both core chapters that introduce key concepts of archival research, as well as reflection chapters that offer rich and illustrative examples of archival research. Indeed, this book serves as the leading resource for scholars interested in completing archival research. --Jessica Nina Lester, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Inquiry Methodology, Indiana University Roulston and deMarrais' Exploring the Archives: A Beginner's Guide for Qualitative Researchers is a most welcome and needed addition to the qualitative data collection literature. Like a rare find in the archive, this text overflows with rich details and thoughtful considerations of the nuances of archival work. The authors expertly guide readers through all aspects of qualitative archival work. Insightful examples punctuate the procedural work done in the main chapters of the text. This is a rich resource for anyone interested in qualitative archival research. --Susan Nordstrom, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Educational Research, The University of Memphis

Author Information

Kathryn Roulston is Professor in the Qualitative Research Program in the College of Education at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, where she teaches qualitative research methods. She is the author of Reflective Interviewing: A Guide to Theory and Practice (2010), editor of Interactional Studies of Qualitative Interviews (2019), and a contributor to a variety journals and book collections. Kathleen deMarrais is professor and department head in the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration and Policy at the University of Georgia. After a 14-year career as a K-12 special education teacher, she earned a doctorate in Social Foundations of Education at the University of Cincinnati. She serves as a qualitative methodologist in UGA's Qualitative Research Program. Her research is focused on qualitative methodologies, qualitative pedagogy, and the impact of philanthropy in educational policy and practice. In addition to numerous articles and book chapters, her books include: Foundations for Research: Methods of Inquiry in Education and the Social Sciences (with S. Lapan); Inside Stories: Educating Young Adolescent Girls (with P. O'Reilly & B. Penn); The Way Schools Work: A Sociological Analysis of Schooling, 3rd Edition (with M. LeCompte); Life at the Margins: Profiles of Diverse Adults (with J. Merrifield, D. Hemphill & B. Bingman); Teach for America Counter Narratives: Alumni Speak Up and Speak Out (with T. J. Brewer); and Philanthropy, Hidden Strategy, and Collective Resistance: A Primer for Concerned Educators. She was honored by her undergraduate alma mater, East Stroudsburg University, with the 2017 Excellence in Education Award for demonstrated superior teaching ability and extraordinary commitment to students at the elementary, secondary or college level.

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