Archival Strategies and Techniques: (Qualitative Research Methods)

I think that anyone who has an interest in traditional archival research will find this a thoughtful and valuable guide to the many different elements of the research process. --Theory and Methods "His research advice is systematic and thorough and could easily serve for other researchers than sociobiographers. In eighty-eight pages, Hill has managed to pack not only this sound research advice but a critique of archival practices and a six-page bibliography. The book is certainly worth a read. . . . and could give archivists an opportunity to broaden their sociological horizons." --Archivaria "Michael Hill′s monograph, Archival Strategies and Techniques, depicts a world that some might think would be as dusty as old manuscripts themselves, but in the process of describing the excitements, joys, frustrations, and ethical conundrums, he has demonstrated that the archival scholar can share thrills and fears with Indiana Jones. Hill′s book is filled with lively anecdote, compelling analysis and a full measure of wit. This monograph will be an invaluable companion for anyone planning to spend time in libraries, dusty or otherwise." --Gary Alan Fine, University of Georgia "Much more than a how-to book, Michael Hill interprets archives and their use from a Goffmanian sociological perspective. As an extra benefit, he guides readers through the archival process by drawing on a sociological/historical project--the recovery of unknown or presently discounted social scientists. Any teacher who assigns a term paper to students will want to recommend this book!" --Shulamit Reinharz, Brandeis University "Michael Hill has produced a lively and, for some of us, comforting guide to archival research in sociology. . . . The book is comforting because among the gems contained within this short monograph is a discussion of the need to recover `unknown or presently discounted social scientists′ as an important epistemological task." --Network Historical and biographical research is increasingly used by social scientists as an important form of qualitative research. This kind of research usually requires the extensive use of formal archives housed in university and government buildings, museums, and other institutions. This concise, but practical book provides the "rules of the game" for the novice on conducting and preparing to work in archives, the protocol of using archives, and ways of organizing and referencing the useful data from the archive. This intriguing volume will interest scholars and students from a wide array of disciplines using this type of research for social analysis.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Archival Sedimentation Structure, Control, and Technology Getting Started `Targets′ and `Tool Kits′ Orientation Interviews Confronting the `Black Box′ Problem Life in the Reading Room Strategies for Organizing Archival Data Methodological Complexities Publication, Citations, and Permissions Non-Archival Data Sources

About the Author :
Michael R. Hill holds earned Doctorates in Geography (1982) and Sociology (1989) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). His primary interests are theories, methodologies, and disciplinary histories. He has taught courses in geography, design studies, landscape architecture, urban planning, and sociology during appointments at Iowa State University, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Albion College, the University of Notre Dame, and UNL. He currently edits Sociological Origins and is a senior tutor in the UNL Department of Athletics. He is the author, editor, and/or co-editor of 11 books, including Archival Strategies and Techniques (SAGE, 1993); Harriet Martineau: Methodological and Theoretical Perspectives (2001); Harriet Martineau′s How to Observe Morals and Manners (1989); and Harriet Martineau′s An Independent Woman′s Lake District Writings (2004). He is helping recover the central sociological works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman: With Her in Ourland: Sequel to Herland (1997), The Dress of Women (2001), and Social Ethics: Sociology and the Future of Society (2004). He recently edited a collection of Gilman′s writings on Marriages, Families and Children (2011). He received the American Sociological Association′s Section on the History of Sociology Distinguished Scholarly Career Award in 2003 and two Distinguished Scholarly Book Awards, in 2002 and 2005, respectively.