Documents

Qualitative research Methods data collection: Document Review by Muhammad Yousuf Ali

Documents & Artifacts

Document analysis is a form of qualitative research in which documents are interpreted by the researcher to give voice and meaning around an assessment topic (Bowen, 2009). Analyzing documents incorporates coding content into themes similar to how focus group or interview transcripts are analyzed (Bowen,2009). A rubric can also be used to grade or score document. There are three primary types of documents (O’Leary, 2014).

Document use for Review in Qualitative Research

There are three types of document used for review in qualitative research

• Public Records: The official, ongoing records of an organization’s activities. Examples include student transcripts, mission statements, annual reports, policy manuals, student handbooks, strategic plans, and syllabi.
• Personal Documents: First-person accounts of an individual’s actions, experiences, and beliefs. Examples include calendars, e-mails, scrapbooks, blogs, Facebook posts, duty logs, incident reports, reflections/journals, and newspapers.
• Physical Evidence: Physical objects found within the study setting (often called artifacts). Examples include flyers, posters, agendas, handbooks, and training materials.

Document Review for Evaluation

1. To gather background information.

Reviewing existing documents helps you understand the history, philosophy, and operation of the program you are evaluating and the organization in which it operates.

2. To determine if implementation of the program reflects program plans.

The review of program documents may reveal a difference between formal statements of program purpose and the actual program implementation. It is important to determine if such a difference exists and to clarify the program intent before moving forward with the evaluation.

3. When you need information to help you develop other data collection tools for evaluation.

Reviewing existing documents to better understand the program and organization you are evaluating will help you formulate questions for interviews, questionnaires, or focus groups or develop an observation guide.

4. When you need data to answer what and how many evaluation questions.

Reviewing program documents is useful for answering basic evaluation questions related to the number and type of participants, number and type of program personnel, and program costs. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009))

Steps to plan and conduct the Document Review

There seven steps to plan and conduct the document review.

There seven steps to plan or conduct for the document review.

1. Assess existing documents

2. Secure access to the documents you have identified through your assessment.

3. Ensure confidentiality.

4. Compile the documents relevant to your evaluation

5. Understand how and why the documents were produced.

6. Determine the accuracy of the documents.

7. Summarize the information from documents reviewed.

Advantages of document review.

• Relatively inexpensive
• Good source of background information
• Unobtrusive
• Provides a behind-the-scenes look at a program that may not be directly observable
• May bring up issues not noted by other means

Disadvantages of document review.

• Information may be inapplicable, disorganized, unavailable, or out of date.

• Could be biased because of selective survival of information.

• Information may be incomplete or inaccurate.

• Can be time consuming to collect, review, and analyze many documents.

How to Cite this article :

Ali, M.Y. (06 Mar 2021). Qualitative research Methods data collection: Document Review. https://profileusuf.wordpress.com/documents/

References

Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27-40. doi:10.3316/QRJ0902027

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Data collection methods for evaluation: Document review. Evaluation Briefs, 18, 1-2.

O’Leary, Z. (2014). The essential guide to doing your research project (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.